Hong Kong moves to restrict business use of medical terms such as ‘treatment’, ‘clinical’

Gyms and beauty centres will no longer be able to claim they offer services such as pain treatment under a planned ban by the Hong Kong government to avoid misleading claims, but some non-medical professionals argue their services warrant the description.

The ban, aimed at ensuring the public does not wrongly believe medical services are being offered at certain premises, is part of a bigger move by authorities to better regulate private healthcare facilities.

Under the larger effort, clinics will have to obtain a licence allowing them to offer medical treatments, although small practices, such as a neighbourhood doctor’s office, will be allowed to seek a letter from health authorities exempting them from obtaining a licence.

The application process will start in the fourth quarter of next year, according to a document submitted by the Health Bureau to the Legislative Council.

The ban on the use of medical-related descriptions by unauthorised premises is expected to be implemented after the clinic licensing regime comes into effect, the bureau stated in a separate reply, without giving an exact time.

Under the planned ban, which has already been added to the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance but not yet enforced, premises other than licensed healthcare facilities or exempted clinics would not be allowed to use terms such as “clinical”, “healthcare”, “medical”, “treatment” and “therapeutic”.