Angry doctors yesterday gave the Hospital Authority two weeks to respond to their demand for reduced workloads, following their threat this week to take industrial action.
Speaking after a meeting attended by around 60 doctors at Tuen Mun Hospital, authority chief executive Dr Leung Pak-yin pledged to tackle the crisis by reviewing doctors' on-call systems and creating more senior posts for promotions.
Leung conceded that the quality of medical care was being affected by the tough working conditions imposed on doctors.
'If the high turnover rate is still ongoing, staff working hours will be longer ... consultation time for patients will then be shortened, thus affecting the quality of medical services,' he said.
Leung said he would consider working a night shift to obtain first-hand experience of the conditions.
In response to threats of industrial action by the Public Doctors' Association, Leung said: 'We are in a team ... Any organisation may have industrial action. I cannot rule out such action [in public hospitals]. But I believe my colleagues are rational and willing to talk.'
Dr Loletta So Kit-ying, the association's president, said after the meeting that the union was disappointed Leung had failed to provide details of reforms or a clear timetable.
