Dr Libby Lee Ha Yun, Under Secretary for Health
In 2022, a total of 61,557 people passed away in Hong Kong. For terminally ill patients, various medical and care options are available. However, as patients approach the last stage of their life, they may not be in a position to make decisions or communicate their wishes. Additionally, family members may not reach a consensus, all of which can add to the pressure and emotional distress felt.
It is important to make early preparations for care plans in order to respect patients' wishes and facilitate effective communication and discussions among patients, family members and healthcare teams on the most suitable arrangements. The Government of the Hong Kong SAR recently gazetted the Advance Decision on Life-Sustaining Treatment Bill, which aims to put in place a legislative framework for the provision of holistic end-of-life care services for patients and their families. This includes an Advance Medical Directive (AMD), an important measure to respect patients' choices and enhance quality of life during their final days.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust initiated and funded the Jockey Club End-of-Life Community Care Project (JCECC) with the aim of improving the quality of end-of-life care. One of the project's partners, the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Hong Kong, co-organised a community talk with the Health Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR on the Advance Decision on Life-sustaining Treatment Bill on January 27. It was the opening session of a six-session series to be organised from January to April 2024.
The following guests and speakers participated in the talk on January 27:
- Dr. Libby Lee, Under Secretary for Health
- Mr. Eddie Lee, Deputy Secretary for Health
- Dr. Rebecca Yeung, Oncology Consultant, Clinical Oncology Department, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital
- Ms. Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Healthy Community), The Hong Kong Jockey Club
- Professor Amy Chow, Project Director of the JCECC Project and Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the University of Hong Kong
Around 140 members of the public and stakeholders in the field participated in the talk. Dr. Libby Lee, the Under Secretary for Health, gave a background to the bill during her welcoming speech. She said the general public needs to understand the details of the bill, as well as life and death education. It was therefore a pleasure to co-organise the community talk with the JCECC Project. She emphasised that the Health Bureau will further strengthen knowledge of end-of-life care in the community by initiating more public education activities.
Ms. Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Healthy Community) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said the development of end-of-life care needs support from a wide variety of parties. In the past eight years, the JCECC Project has worked closely with the Government, providing indicative references on end-of-life care, and been dedicated to responding to the practical needs of the community. She envisions the community talk series providing the public with a thorough explanation of the bill. She concluded that building a healthy community is one of the five priority areas of the Club's charities strategy. The Club will continue to explore different projects to provide the public with better medical and healthcare services.
Mr. Eddie Lee, Deputy Secretary for Health, provided details on the Advance Decision on Life-Sustaining Treatment Bill. He indicated that the aim of the bill is to respect patients' wishes and to improve the quality of end-of-life care. The signing of the Advance Medical Directive will adhere to the principle of "cautious making, easy revoking".
Dr. Rebecca Yeung, Oncology Consultant, Clinical Oncology Department of the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, shared her own and her colleagues' experiences in the hospital. She said that an Advance Medical Directive could serve as a tool to open discussion on life and death issues with patients. They would be able to decide upon the life-sustaining treatment they receive in their twilight years. At the same time, their family members would have the opportunity for more in-depth discussion with patients about their wishes. As a result, healthcare professionals will be able to provide the most suitable treatments and procedures.
The talk received a very enthusiastic response. During the final Q&A session, participants keenly asked questions on the topic, which were answered by the relevant speakers.
About "Jockey Club End-of-Life Community Care Project"
Hong Kong is facing a rapidly ageing population, and the number of elderly suffering from terminal illnesses has also escalated correspondingly. In view of the growing demand for end-of-life care services in the community, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust approved around HK$520 million to initiate the "Jockey Club End-of-Life Community Care Project" (JCECC). Launched in 2016, the ten-year project aims at improving the quality of end-of-life care, enhancing the capacity of service providers, as well as raising public awareness.
JCECC is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional and cross-sectoral collaboration to help enhance end-of-life care in Hong Kong with special emphasis on the interface between social and medical systems. Service models are being developed and shaped to provide holistic support to terminally-ill elders in the community and elderly homes. The goal is to enable the city's older people to have informed choices of care and have an improved quality of life. Please visit http://www.JCECC.hk/
