Health and Care Practitioner

Introduction to Health and Care Practitioner

The Director of Social Welfare (the Director) manages and implements the health and care practitioner registration and renewal system, and may impose conditions on such registration to continuously enhance the professionalism of health and care practitioners in order to ensure the service quality of residential care homes. 

“Health and care practitioner” is a new professional rank to be established in the social welfare sector according to the recommendation by the consultancy study report on “Skill and Qualification Requirements of Residential Care Home Staff providing Health and Rehabilitation Services in Hong Kong” released by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) in January 2025.  This will be instrumental in nurturing specialised care professionals for the social welfare sector, promoting its sustainable and steady development.  Registered health and care practitioners will specifically be responsible for providing care and health services in social welfare units such as residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) and residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs), and undertaking duties equivalent to those of Enrolled Nurses. 

As stipulated in section 11 of the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Regulation / the Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) Regulation (the Regulations), the operator of an RCHE / RCHD must not employ any person as a health and care practitioner unless that person is a registered health and care practitioner.  In accordance with section 3ZL of the Regulations, the Director must keep a register containing a list of persons registered as registered health and care practitioner available for public inspection. 
 

Application for Registration / Renewal of Registration of Health and Care Practitioner

Applicants may register concurrently or separately as registered health and care practitioners of RCHEs and/or RCHDs.   The applicant shall refer to the “Guidance Notes on Application for Registration as Registered Health and Care Practitioner” for details, and submit the application and upload related documents electronically through the CarePro Registration System for Residential Care Homes (The system will be updated in early 2027 for processing application for registration as a health and care practitioner).  In addition, a registered health and care practitioner may apply for the renewal of registration at least 3 months before (but not earlier than 6 months before) the expiry of the registration. 

Reporting Requirements and Cancellation of Registration of Registered Health and Care Practitioner 

Professional Diploma Programme for Health and Care Practitioner

In accordance with sections 3Z of the Regulations, a person holds a qualification specified by the Director, is competent to perform the duties of a health and care practitioner and is fit and proper to be so registered, to the satisfaction of the Director, shall be qualified to be registered as a registered health and care practitioner.  

All persons who enrol to the Professional Diploma Programme for Health and Care Practitioner (the PD Programme), approved by SWD, must meet the entry academic requirements. Persons who are interested to enrol in the PD Programme and apply for registration of health and care practitioner may refer to the relevant course information.

Note: Please contact respective training institutes for details on the enrollment and commencement of the approved PD Programme.

Other Information

Enquiry

For enquiry, please contact the Development Section of the Licensing and Regulation Branch of SWD during office hours: