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2021 Health Manpower Survey on Diagnostic Radiographers
Key Findings

The radiographers covered in the 2021 Health Manpower Survey on Radiographers (HMS-RG) were radiographers registered with the Radiographers Board of Hong Kong under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Chapter 359) as at the survey reference date of 31 July 2021, and who had provided written consent on receiving information related to HMS-RG by post or email.
Diagnostic radiographers refer to radiographers registered as radiographers (Category D) with the Radiographers Board of Hong Kong under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Chapter 359) as at the survey reference date of 31 July 2021.

Among the 2 649 radiographers registered with the Radiographers Board of Hong Kong as at the survey reference date of 31 July 2021, 491 had consented to receive information related to HMS-RG by post or email. The number of diagnostic radiographers covered was 403.

Of the 403 diagnostic radiographers covered, 112 responded to the HMS-RG, giving a response rate of 27.8%.

Among the 112 responding diagnostic radiographers, 100 (89.3%) were economically active *† (active) and 12 (10.7%) were economically inactive*‡ (inactive) in the local diagnostic radiography profession as at 31 July 2021 (See Chart).

Of the 100 active diagnostic radiographers, 98 (98.0%) were practising in the local diagnostic radiography profession, one (1.0%) reported that he/ she had not been available for work because of temporary sickness, the remaining one (1.0%) reported that he/ she was available for work but had not sought work during the 30 days before enumeration as he/ she was expecting to return to his/ her original job in the local diagnostic radiography profession.

The survey results presented below were based on the 98 responding diagnostic radiographers who were practising in the local diagnostic radiography profession as at 31 July 2021. The percentages presented below may not add up to 100% due to missing responses or rounding.

  1. Among the 98 active diagnostic radiographers practising in the local diagnostic radiography profession enumerated, 54 (55.1%) were male and 43 (43.9%) were female, the remaining one did not indicate the gender, and the overall sex ratio (males per 100 females) was 126. Excluding two respondents who did not indicate their ages, the median age of the remaining 96 active diagnostic radiographers practising in the local diagnostic radiography profession enumerated was 54.0 years (median age of female was 54.0 years and median age of male was 48.0 years)
  2. The responding active diagnostic radiographers practising in the local diagnostic radiography profession were requested to indicate the characteristics of their main jobs§. Of the 98 respondents, 57 (58.2%) reported as working in private sector, 39 (39.8%) were working in the Hospital Authority and two (2.0%) were working in the Government, academic and subvented sectors.
    3. * 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 (“active”) diagnostic radiographers comprised all “employed” and “unemployed” diagnostic radiographers. “Employed” diagnostic radiographers referred to those diagnostic radiographers practising in the diagnostic radiography profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, and “unemployed” diagnostic radiographers who (i) were not practising in the local diagnostic radiography profession during the survey period; (ii) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey AND (iii) had sought work in the local diagnostic radiography profession during the 30 days before the survey. The respondent would be classified as “unemployed” if he / she had sought work in the local diagnostic radiography profession but had not been available for work because of temporary sickness. The respondent would also be classified as “unemployed” if he / she fulfilled conditions (i) and (ii) but had not sought work during the 30 days before enumeration because he / she believed that work was not available; or had made arrangements to take up a new job; or was starting business on a subsequent date; or was expecting to return to the original job in the local diagnostic radiography profession.
    ‡ Economically inactive (“inactive”) diagnostic radiographers referred to the responding diagnostic radiographers who were not practising in the diagnostic radiography profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, excluding those who were on leave during the survey period and who were “economically active” but “unemployed”.
    § Main jobs referred to the jobs in which the diagnostic radiographers had spent most of their working time.
  3. Among the 98 respondents, 78 (79.6%) spent most of their working time on diagnostic stream, while 18 (18.4%) reported spending most of their working time on administration / management and one (1.0%) reported teaching as the main area of work.
  4. Excluding one active respondent who did not indicate his / her hours of work per week (excluding meal breaks), the median number of hours of work per week (excluding meal breaks) of the remaining 97 active diagnostic radiographers practising in the local diagnostic radiography profession enumerated was 40.0 hours. Among them, 22 (22.4%) were required to undertake on-call duty (excluding normal duty), with a median of 9.0 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week.

Among the 12 inactive diagnostic radiographers(See Chart) :

  1. Six (50.0%) reported not seeking jobs in the local diagnostic radiography profession during the 30 days before enumeration. Among the six inactive diagnostic radiographers who reported not seeking jobs in the local radiography profession, the main reasons included: two (33.3%) were retired, one (16.7%) was working in other profession, one (16.7%) was engaged in household duties, one (16.7%) reported as wanting to take rest / had no motive to work / had no financial need and one (16.7%) reported undertaking study.
  2. Four (33.3%) reported practising overseas and two (16.7%) reported practising in the Mainland.
Activity Status of Diagnostic Radiographers Covered

Text Version

Notes: * Figure refers to the number of diagnostic radiographers registered with the Radiographers Board of Hong Kong under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Chapter 359) on or before 31.7.2021, and who had provided written consent to receive information related to HMS-RG by post or email.
† Figure refers to the number of responding diagnostic radiographers who (a) were not practising in the diagnostic radiography profession in Hong Kong during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; AND (c) had not sought work during the 30 days before enumeration because he/ she was expecting to return to the original job in the local diagnostic radiography profession.
‡ Figure refers to the number of responding diagnostic radiographers who reported as wanting to rest/ no motive to work/ no financial need or undertaking studies.
Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
2021 Health Manpower Survey on Therapeutic Radiographers
Key Findings

The Therapeutic radiographers refer to radiographers registered as radiographers (Category T) with the Radiographers Board of Hong Kong under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Chapter 359) as at the survey reference date of 31 July 2021.

Among the 2 649 radiographers registered with the Radiographers Board of Hong Kong as at the survey reference date of 31 July 2021, 491 had consented to receive information related to HMS-RG by post or email. The number of therapeutic radiographers covered was 88.

Of the 88 therapeutic radiographers covered, 21 responded to the HMS-RG, giving a response rate of 23.9%.

Among the 21 responding therapeutic radiographers, 19 (90.5%) were economically active *† (active) and 2 (9.5%) were economically inactive*‡ (inactive) in the local therapeutic radiography profession as at 31 July 2021 (See Chart).

Of the 19 active therapeutic radiographers, all of them were practising in the local therapeutic radiography profession.

The survey results presented below were based on the 19 responding registered therapeutic radiographers who were practising in the local therapeutic radiography profession as at 31 July 2021. The percentages presented below may not add up to 100% due to missing responses or rounding.

  1. Among the 19 active therapeutic radiographers who were practising in the local therapeutic radiography profession enumerated, there were nine (47.4%) male and ten (52.6%) female, giving an overall sex ratio (males per 100 females) of 90. The median age of the 19 active therapeutic radiographers was 39.0 years (median age of female was 32.5 years and median age of male was 47.0 years).
  2. The responding active therapeutic radiographers practising in the local therapeutic radiography profession were requested to indicate the characteristics of their main jobs*. Of the 19 respondents, 14 (73.7%) reported as working in academic and private sectors and five (26.3%) were working in the Hospital Authority.
  3. Among the 19 respondents, 15 (78.9%) spent most of their working time on therapeutic stream, while three (15.8%) reported spending most of their working time on administration / management and one (5.3%) reported teaching as the main area of work.
  4. Among the 19 respondents, the median number of hours of work per week (excluding meal breaks) was 39.0 hours, and none of them was required to undertake on-call duty (excluding normal duty).
* 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 (“active”) therapeutic radiographers comprised all “employed” and “unemployed” therapeutic radiographers. “Employed” therapeutic radiographers referred to those therapeutic radiographers practising in the therapeutic radiography profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, and “unemployed” therapeutic radiographers who (i) were not practising in the local therapeutic radiography profession during the survey period; (ii) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey AND (iii) had sought work in the local therapeutic radiography profession during the 30 days before the survey. The respondent would be classified as “unemployed” if he / she had sought work in the local therapeutic radiography profession but had not been available for work because of temporary sickness. The respondent would also be classified as “unemployed” if he / she fulfilled conditions (i) and (ii) but had not sought work during the 30 days before enumeration because he / she believed that work was not available; or had made arrangements to take up a new job; or was starting business on a subsequent date; or was expecting to return to the original job in the local therapeutic radiography profession.
‡ Economically inactive (“inactive”) therapeutic radiographers referred to the responding therapeutic radiographers who were not practising in the diagnostic radiography profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, excluding those who were on leave during the survey period and who were “economically active” but “unemployed”.
§ Main jobs referred to the jobs in which the therapeutic radiographers had spent most of their working time.

Among the two inactive therapeutic radiographers (See Chart).

  1. Both of the two inactive therapeutic radiographers reported not seeking jobs in the local therapeutic radiography profession during the 30 days before enumeration. The main reasons included: one (50.0%) was working in other profession and one (50.0%) reported as undertaking study
Activity Status of Therapeutic Radiographers Covered

Text Version

Note: * Figure refers to the number of therapeutic radiographers registered with the Radiographers Board of Hong Kong under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Chapter 359) on or before 31.7.2021, and who had provided written consent to receive information related to HMS-RG by post or email.
† Figure refers to the number of responding therapeutic radiographers who reported as working in other profession or undertaking studies.
Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Last Revision Date : 25 Jan 2024