Statistics
2012 Health Manpower Survey on Doctors
Key Findings
1. The doctors covered in the 2012 HMS were doctors registered* with the Medical Council of Hong Kong on the resident list† under the Medical Registration Ordinance (Chapter 161) as at the survey reference date – 31.8.2012.
2. The number of doctors covered was 12 176.
3. Of the 12 176 doctors covered, 6 530 responded to the survey, giving an overall response rate of 53.6%. Of the 6 530 responding doctors, 5 865 (89.8%) were economically active‡§ (active) whereas 665 (10.2%) reported to be economically inactive‡║ (inactive) in the local medical profession.
4. Of the 5 865 active doctors, 5 837 (99.5%) were practising in the local medical profession, eight (0.1%) were seeking jobs, 11 (0.2%) believed that work was not available, were expecting to return to their original jobs, starting business at subsequent date or waiting to take up a new job in the local medical profession during the 30 days before the survey and nine (0.2%) had not been available for work because of temporary sickness.
5. The survey findings presented below were based on the 5 837 responding doctors practising in the local medical profession as at 31.8.2012. As some questionnaire items had missing responses, percentages presented below may not add up to 100%.
(i) |
89 doctors did not indicate sex. Of the remaining 5 748 active doctors enumerated, 3 979 (69.2%) were male and 1 769 (30.8%) were female, giving an overall sex ratio of 225 (males per 100 females). 67 doctors did not indicate age and the median age of the remaining 5 770 active doctors enumerated was 47.0 years. |
(ii) |
Distribution by sector of the main job¶ showed that 2 821 (48.3%) active doctors enumerated were working in the private sector, followed by 2 444 (41.9%) in the Hospital Authority, 347 (5.9%) in the Government, 164 (2.8%) in the academic and 37 (0.6%) in the subvented sector. |
(iii) |
The median number of hours of work (excluding meal breaks) per week of the 5 837 active doctors enumerated was 45.0 hours. 2 544 (43.6%) doctors were required to undertake on-call duty, with a median of 18.0 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week. |
(iv) |
65.2% spent most of their working time on specialist practice, followed by 30.7% on general practice, 2.8% on administration / management and 0.4% on teaching / education. |
6. Among the 665 inactive dentists.
(i) |
219 doctors reported practising overseas and 13 reported practising in the Mainland. |
(ii) |
433 doctors reported not practising in the medical profession in Hong Kong and not seeking job in the local medical profession during the 30 days before the survey. The reasons reported for not seeking job included: 341 (78.8%) were retired, 34 (7.9%) were working in other professions, 32 (7.4%) wanted to take a rest / had no motive to work / had no financial need, and 18 (4.2%) were engaged in household duties. |
* Refers to doctors registered in Part I of the Medical Register maintained by the Medical Council of Hong Kong under the Medical Registration Ordinance (Chapter 161). These included doctors who held Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery issued in Hong Kong (MBBS (HK) / MBChB (CUHK)), Licentiate of Medical Council of Hong Kong (LMCHK) or other overseas qualification registered with the Medical Council of Hong Kong.
† As the 2012 Health Manpower Survey only aimed at covering all doctors practising in Hong Kong, doctors on the non-resident list of the Medical Register were excluded from the survey.
‡ In the survey, the criteria used in defining economically active / inactive follow those recommended by the International Labour Organisation, which are also being used by the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong.
§ "Economically active" doctors comprised all "employed" and "unemployed" doctors. "Employed" doctors referred to those doctors practising in the medical profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, while "unemployed" doctors referred to those doctors who (a) were not practising in the local medical profession during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the local medical profession during the 30 days before the survey.
║ "Economically inactive" doctors comprised the doctors who were not practising in the medical profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, but excluding those who had been on leave during the survey period and those who were economically active but "unemployed".
¶ Main job refers to the jobs in which the doctors had spent most of their working time.
| Activity Status of Doctors Covered |
| Notes﹕ | * | Figure refers to the number of responding doctors who (a) were not practising in the medical profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work in the local medical profession during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the local medical profession during the 30 days before the survey. |
| † | Figure refers to the number of responding doctors who (a) were not practising in the medical profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work in the local medical profession during the seven days before the survey; and (c) believed that work was not available, were expecting to return to their original jobs, starting business at subsequent date or waiting to take up a new job in the local medical profession during the 30 days before the survey. | |
| § | Figure refers to the number of responding doctors who reported undertaking study, etc. |
| Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. |