Statistics
2011 Health Manpower Survey on Physiotherapists
Key Findings
1. The physiotherapists covered in the 2011 HMS were physiotherapists registered with the Physiotherapists Board of Hong Kong under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Chapter 359) as at the survey reference date - 31.3.2011.
2. The number of physiotherapists covered was 2 257.
3. Of the 2 257 registered physiotherapists covered, 1 490 had responded to the survey, giving an overall response rate of 66.0%. Of the 1 490 responding physiotherapists, 1 322 (88.7%) were economically active*† (active) whereas 168 (11.3%) reported to be economically inactive*‡ (inactive) in the local physiotherapy profession (See Chart).
4. Of the 1 322 active physiotherapists, 1 316 (99.5%) were practising in the local physiotherapy profession, three (0.2%) were seeking jobs and three (0.2%) were waiting to take up new job in the local physiotherapy profession during the 30 days before the survey.
5. The survey findings presented below were based on the 1 316 responding physiotherapists practising in the local physiotherapy profession as at 31.3.2011. As some questionnaires contained missing information, percentages presented below may not add up to 100%.
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(i) |
Eight physiotherapists did not indicate their sex. Of the remaining 1 308 active physiotherapists enumerated, 526 (40.2%) were male and 782 (59.8%) were female, giving an overall sex ratio (males per 100 females) of 67. 15 physiotherapists did not indicate the age and the median age of the remaining 1 301 active physiotherapists enumerated was 36.0 years. |
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(ii) |
Distribution by sector of the main job§ showed that 558 (42.4%) were working in the Hospital Authority, followed by 426 (32.4%) in the private sector, 258 (19.6%) in the subvented sector, 47 (3.6%) in the academic sector and 19 (1.4%) in the Government. |
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(iii) |
87.8% spent most of their working time on rehabilitation, followed by 6.2% on administration / management and 2.6% on primary health care and 2.4% on teaching. |
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(iv) |
The median number of hours of work (excluding meal breaks) per week of the 1 316 active physiotherapists enumerated was 44.0 hours. 103 (7.8%) physiotherapists were required to undertake on-call duty (excluding normal duty), with a median number of 4.0 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week. |
* In the survey, the criteria used in defining economically active / inactive followed those recommended by the International Labour Organization, which are also being used by the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong.
† “Economically active” physiotherapists comprised all “employed” and “unemployed” physiotherapists. “Employed” physiotherapists referred to those physiotherapists practising in the physiotherapy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, while “unemployed” physiotherapists referred to those physiotherapists who (a) were not practising in the physiotherapy 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 physiotherapy profession during the 30 days before the survey.
‡ “Economically inactive” physiotherapists comprised the physiotherapists who were not practising in the physiotherapy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, but excluding those who had been on leave during the survey period and who were “economically active” but “unemployed”.
§ Main jobs referred to the jobs in which the physiotherapists had spent most of their working time.
6. Among the 168 inactive physiotherapists (See Chart):
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(i) |
60 physiotherapists reported practising overseas and seven physiotherapists reported practising in the Mainland. |
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(ii) |
100 physiotherapists reported not practising in the physiotherapy profession in Hong Kong and not seeking job in the local physiotherapy profession during the 30 days before the survey. The reasons reported for not seeking job included: 49 (49.0%) were working in other professions, 16 (16.0%) wanted to take rest / having no motive to work / having no financial need, 15 (15.0%) engaged in household duties and 10 (10.0%) were retired, etc. |
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Activity Status of Physiotherapists Covered |
| Of the 2 257 physiotherapists covered, 1 490 (66.0%) had responded to the survey, while the remaining 767 (34.0%) had not responded. Among the respondents, 1 322 (88.7%) were active in the local physiotherapy profession whereas 168 (11.3%) reported to be inactive in the local physiotherapy profession Among the 1 322 active physiotherapists, 1 316 (99.5%) were practising in the physiotherapy profession, three (0.2%) (a) were not practising in the physiotherapy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the physiotherapy profession during the 30 days before the survey and the remaining three (0.2%) (a) were not practising in the physiotherapy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) were waiting to take up new jobs in the local physiotherapy profession during the 30 days before the survey. Of the 168 inactive physiotherapists, 100 (59.5%) reported not practising in the physiotherapy profession in Hong Kong and not seeking job in the physiotherapy profession during the 30 days before the survey, 60 (35.7%) physiotherapists reported practising overseas, seven (4.2%) reported practising in the Mainland and the remaining one (0.6%) (a) was not practising in the physiotherapy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had not been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the physiotherapy profession during the 30 days before the survey. Of the 100 inactive physiotherapists, 49 (49.0%) reported working in other professions, 16 (16.0%) wanted to take rest / having no motive to work / having no financial need, 15 (15.0%) were engaged in household duties, 10 (10.0%) were retired and the remaining 10 (10.0%)* had other reasons for being inactive. Notes: * Figure refers to the number of responding physiotherapists who reported undertaking study, etc. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding |
| Notes﹕ | * | Figure refers to the number of responding physiotherapists who (a) were not practising in the physiotherapy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the physiotherapy profession during the 30 days before the survey. |
| † | Figure refers to the number of responding physiotherapists who (a) were not practising in the physiotherapy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c)were waiting to take up new jobs in the local physiotherapy profession during the 30 days before the survey. | |
| ‡ | Figure refers to the number of responding physiotherapists who (a) were not practising in the physiotherapy profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had not been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the physiotherapy profession during the 30 days before the survey. | |
| § | Figure refers to the number of responding physiotherapists who reported undertaking study, etc. | |
| Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding. |
Department of Health
The Government of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region
30 November 2011