Hong Kong’s health authorities will set aside 30 per cent of public family medicine clinics’ quota spots for low-income and elderly patients under a pilot scheme starting next month, with the policy expected to benefit more than 200,000 people.

The Health Bureau said on Friday that the Hospital Authority’s Family Medicine Outpatient Services Priority Groups Pilot Scheme would launch on November 4, improving access to affordable primary healthcare among underprivileged residents.

Intended beneficiaries include recipients of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance and people aged 75 and above who are receiving the Old Age Living Allowance.

Those under the Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly and recipients of the Working Family Allowance Scheme will also be covered by the authority’s pilot initiative.

The Hospital Authority’s 74 family medicine clinics will reserve a certain proportion of the quota spots for priority recipients seeking treatment for episodic diseases, such as influenza, colds and gastroenteritis.

The allocations of quota spots will be adjusted based on service needs.