The Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) (Amendment) Regulation 2026 and the Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) (Amendment) Regulation 2026 were gazetted today to establish the new professional rank of health and care practitioners (HCPs).
The Government proposes to amend the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Regulation and the Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) Regulation to establish a registration system for HCPs and incorporate HCPs into the staffing requirements for residential care homes (RCHs) whilst maintaining the existing statutory staffing requirements unchanged.
The amendment allows RCH operators to employ either enrolled nurses or HCPs to meet the relevant statutory requirements.
The Labour & Welfare Bureau said the establishment of the HCP rank will attract people who aspire to pursue a career in the social welfare sector, providing health workers with promotion and career development prospects, thereby assisting the sector in retaining talent.
The bureau noted that the new initiative will enable RCHs to utilise their manpower resources more flexibly as well as establish a dedicated pool of care talent for the social welfare sector, and reduce competition for nursing talent with the healthcare sector.
The Social Welfare Department (SWD) will implement a three-year subsidy scheme to support eligible serving registered health workers with potential to undergo the HCP professional diploma programme recognised by the department.
As residential care homes for the elderly and residential care homes for persons with disabilities often encounter difficulties in recruiting or retaining staff, the SWD had engaged a consultant earlier to conduct a holistic review of the skill and qualification requirements of RCH staff, with a view to establishing professional standards and a career progression path for them.
The Consultancy Study report showed that in terms of the nursing care work in RCHs, the duties of enrolled nurses and health workers were similar. Health workers could further take up more care responsibilities with appropriate training and assessment.
The report recommended establishing a new professional rank of HCP for the social welfare sector. The rank will specialise in providing nursing care as well as health and care services in elderly and rehabilitation social welfare service units, and undertake duties equivalent to those of enrolled nurses in the welfare service units concerned.
Moreover, the amendment exercise also changes the basis of calculating the staffing requirements for nursing homes from the total number of beds as currently adopted to the total number of residents aligning with the international practice and the relevant requirements for RCHs of other care levels in Hong Kong.
The Amendment Regulations will be tabled at the Legislative Council for negative vetting on June 10 and come into effect on October 14 after completion of the legislative procedures.
