The Primary Healthcare Commission announced today that from tomorrow the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme (CDCC Pilot Scheme) will offer participants more convenient and flexible medical laboratory service arrangements in the community.

The CDCC Pilot Scheme was launched in 2023 and enables Hong Kong residents aged 45 or above with no known medical history of diabetes mellitus or hypertension to receive screening for related chronic diseases through medical laboratory services in the private sector.

From tomorrow onwards, scheme participants may opt to have blood taken, return samples or receive other laboratory services at any participating medical laboratory service point simply by presenting a laboratory service request note issued by a family doctor taking part in the scheme. They will no longer be restricted to attending single designated medical laboratory service points as in the past.

The number of medical laboratory service points will also increase from 24 to 63, while co-payment fees for participants remain unchanged.

All medical laboratories participating in the CDCC Pilot Scheme are accredited under the eHealth+ Connectivity Accreditation Scheme, and citizens’ laboratory reports will be deposited into their personal eHealth accounts for access by themselves and authorised healthcare personnel and caregivers.

In addition to receiving services at participating medical laboratory service points, pilot scheme participants can also make appointments at District Health Centres/Expresses to have blood taken or return samples.

Individual family doctors can also provide the value-added option of taking blood or collection samples at their clinics. They can charge those who opt for this service an additional fee on top of the laboratory service co-payment fees.

The enhanced measures will also apply to the Hospital Authority’s General Outpatient Clinic Public-Private Partnership Programme (GOPC PPP).

The GOPC PPP is expected to end in 2028. Patients participating in it will be invited to join the CDCC Pilot Scheme to receive continued and comprehensive care from family doctors.