Kai Tak Hospital will begin phased operations on Monday (Oct 5), with the Family Medicine Integrated Centre in the Specialist Outpatient Block the first to take patients.
This came as the hospital prepared to relocate Queen Elizabeth Hospital services in stages, beginning with family medicine, selected specialist outpatient services, allied health, blood tests and radiotherapy.
Under the current arrangement, about 350 family medicine consultation quotas will be available daily.
Speaking at a media tour, chief executive of Kai Tak Hospital, Eric Cheung, said the project is Hong Kong's largest hospital relocation to date.
To ensure safe and smooth operation, Cheung explained that quotas have been carefully controlled to minimize teething problems.
The gradual approach will see several specialist outpatient services from Queen Elizabeth Hospital begin relocating later this month.
Meanwhile, some follow-up cases in surgery, neurosurgery and clinical oncology will move to Kai Tak from October 26, with medical and family medicine clinics to follow on November 12.
Notably, a new specialist outpatient administration office will handle all bookings in one place, cutting the process to about 15 minutes — half the previous time.
Patients can also expect smart healthcare facilities, including a blood-taking station in the specialist outpatient block lobby — the first in a public hospital to use an automated blood sample transport system.
After a phlebotomist scans the patient's follow-up slip, the system dispenses a labeled bottle and sends the sealed tube to the pathology department — a hands-free process taking about six minutes, 40 percent faster than before.
Spanning two floors and about 2,000 square meters, the hospital's pharmacy will be the city's largest, with 21 collection counters and an automated dispensing system handling up to 3,200 prescriptions a day, targeting an average dispensing time of 30 minutes.
Freed-up staff will be redeployed to explain medications to patients, with full operation expected in early 2027.
Addressing bookings for the hospital, Cheung reported that first-day family medicine quotas were already full on the HA Go app.
He anticipated that bookings may be fully taken up in the early stage, noting the hospital will monitor operations before gradually increasing quotas.
After family medicine and allied health services begin, some specialist outpatient services will move to the hospital in late October, with further services to follow in November, he added.
Chow Po-ling, cluster general manager of the Kowloon Central Cluster at the Hospital Authority, said about 300 staff would be on duty on opening day, including healthcare workers from Queen Elizabeth Hospital and personnel drawn from other clinical and support departments.
She said she was confident staffing would be sufficient to meet demand and ensure smooth services.
For those traveling to the hospital, the hospital reminded patients that 10 bus routes and six minibus routes serve the site, with other public transport nearby.
If patients go to Queen Elizabeth Hospital by mistake, it is confirmed that doctors will see them on the spot to avoid a return trip.
As the largest public hospital in Hong Kong and the flagship facility of the Kowloon Central Cluster, it is expected to serve a population of 1.8 million with 2,400 beds once relocation is completed in 2028.
