Hong Kong launches regional mediation and arbitration platform for medical disputes

Hong Kong has launched the first regional mediation and arbitration platform dedicated to medical and healthcare services as part of the city’s efforts to resolve local and cross-border disputes and strengthen its bid to become an international legal services hub.

The Healthcare Dispute Resolution Centre, a non-profit organisation set up in 2024, announced its new online platform on Friday, providing both virtual and face-to-face services for patients and medical practitioners to settle conflicts through mediation and arbitration.

“Disputes, whether they are related to medical errors, patient rights or contract issues, often turn into litigation that takes time, incurs high costs, and goes toe to toe. Litigation not only harms the relationship between patients and healthcare providers, but also wastes precious public resources,” centre chairman Samuel Kwok Po-yin said at the launch ceremony.

“As cross-border use of medical services becomes more frequent, the new website and platform will become a hub for resolving medical and healthcare disputes in Hong Kong and in the Greater Bay Area.”

The bay area refers to Beijing’s initiative to link Hong Kong, Macau and the nine Guangdong cities into an economic powerhouse.

Kwok said that, compared with court litigation procedures, mediation and arbitration would take less time and cost less, while cases would be kept confidential and dealt with based on professional knowledge.