The Labour & Welfare Bureau and Rehabilitation Advisory Committee members will brief the 18 District Councils in the coming months on strategic directions for the development of rehabilitation services.

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung told legislators today the Rehabilitation Programme Plan review has been completed and proposes new directions in cross-sectoral collaboration, barrier-free environment promotion, and diversified services for the disabled, like pre-school and job services, community support and public education.

The Government provides 10,606 subsidised residential care places for disabled people in need, incurring more than $1.07 billion in spending in 2007-08. A further $52 million will be used to provide 490 new places.

A total of 15,963 day training and vocational rehabilitation places are also provided. Spending will be over $680 million in 2007-08 and funding for 424 additional places has been obtained.

As at December there were 5,787 disabled waiting for subsidised residential care services and 3,135 wanting day services. The average waiting time for residential care ranges from five months to seven years, and three months to two years for day services.

Mr Cheung said the bureau will seek resources to ensure a steady annual increase in subsidised residential care places and additional day service places to meet demand.

He said three new district-based community rehabilitation day centres will open in 2007-08 to provide short-term transitional rehabilitation services for patients with mental, neurological or physical impairment upon their discharge from hospital.