The part-time doctor scheme can boost public-private sector exchanges, keep professionals in the public sector and relieve public doctors' workload, Hospital Authority Cluster Services Director Dr Cheung Wai-lun says, adding a department will be set up to recruit part-time nurses.

Speaking on a radio show, Dr Cheung said there are 4,800 doctors working in public hospitals, with an annual turnover rate of 7%, or 300 doctors. To relieve public doctors' workload and woo private doctors join the public sector, the authority launched the part-time doctor scheme.

As the scheme can bolster experience-sharing among public and private doctors, Dr Cheung said reasonable remuneration of $300 to $1,000 an hour is offered to private doctors joining the scheme.

Noting the number of part-time doctors only accounts for 0.5% of the total number of doctors in the public sector, Dr Cheung said other incentives will be offered to attract more private doctors to join the scheme. A monitoring mechanism is also in place, giving part-time doctors guidelines to avoid any conflict of interests, he added.

On the part-time nurse scheme launched early this year, Dr Cheung said the shortage of nurses is more serious than that of doctors. Therefore, a department will be set up to focus on part-time nurse recruitment.