* Total inpatient, day patient discharges and deaths
Human capital is our valuable asset. NTEC had taken steps to allay staff shortage and high turnover. Additional nurses and allied health professionals were recruited to meet operational requirements. More patient care assistants were hired to share out simple clinical tasks and the clerical workload of allied health professionals. To relieve clinical staff from non-clinical duties, NTEC also implemented auto-refill service for medical consumables and linen items in all hospitals in the Cluster.
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The momentum to rise above the challenges faced by NTEC in coping with escalating service demand was sustained this year. The Cluster was inundated with patients beyond its capacity. In the past year, we had deployed resources and revisited our service models to better meet service needs. 50 acute medical beds and a hematology oncology ward with 12 beds were opened in PWH. Renovation and preparatory work was carried out for new wards in AHNH and NDH. Psychiatric consultation liaison service was provided in |
the A&E Department of NDH. Additional support services were arranged to handle Triage IV and V patients to alleviate the effect of access block at A&E departments in the Cluster. |
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| Better management of waiting time and chronic diseases is another focus area of NTEC. Child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient service was enhanced to relieve waiting time of patients with autistic spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Operating theatre sessions for colorectal cancer surgeries and surgical support of renal dialysis patients were augmented in PWH. Endoscopy service was increased by 25 sessions. Computed tomography and ultrasound services at AHNH were enhanced through additional quota. On |  |
chronic illnesses, two designated medical beds with multi-disciplinary support were set up in NDH for patients on mechanical ventilation. Community support for mental health patients was strengthened through case management service for 600 patients with severe mental health illness residing in Tai Po district. The capacity of renal replacement therapy for patients with end-stage renal disease was also increased.
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NTEC also attached great importance to patient safety and quality of service. Inpatient Medication Order Entry system was successfully launched in PWH, winning the acclaim of clinical staff for enhancing medication safety. Besides, pharmacy service had become more accessible on weekdays with extended services hours in TPH and additional dispensers for the pharmacy of specialist outpatient clinics. Minimally invasive surgery technique was applied in 70% of hysterectomy surgeries for suitable gynecological patients. |
Infectious disease outbreaks have been a threat to Hong Kong for some years due to globalisation. NTEC has closely monitored the steep increase in the number of flu cases during the winter surge period and adopted various measures to streamline the workflow to tide over the situation.
