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Letter dated 15 December 2021 from the Chairman of the Supplementary Medical Professions Council to all registrants
Letter dated 21 December 2023 from Expert Panel on HIV Infection of Health Care Workers ("the Expert Panel")
A letter has been received from the Expert Panel updating the Supplementary Medical Professions Council on its function and work. The letter is now attached for reference by members of Supplementary Medical Professions. Registrants are advised to refer to the recommendations as set out in the letter, and to access the website of the Expert Panel for further information, or to contact the Expert Panel when the need arises
All registered medical laboratory technologists shall comply with the following statutory requirements under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (the Ordinance) and the Code of Practice -
- Section 16(1) – Holding of a valid practising certificate
- A registered person shall not practise a profession in Hong Kong unless he is the holder of a practising certificate which is then in force.
- The Board may direct removal from the register of the name of any person, who being a person required to be the holder of a practising certificate, has practised a profession in Hong Kong for a period exceeding 6 months without having obtained such a certificate (section 10(4) of the Ordinance)
- Section 18(1) – Display of certificate of registration
- Except for those exempted under section 30 of the Ordinance, a registrant shall keep displayed his certificate of registration or a certified copy of such certificate issued under section 14(3) of the Ordinance in a conspicuous position in any premises in which he practises the profession. Failure to comply with the requirement is an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of $1,000.
- Section 21(2) – Employment of unregistered persons
- Any person who employs any unregistered persons to practise the profession of medical laboratory technologists commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for 6 months.
- Section 14(5) – Reporting of updated addresses
- A registrant should report to the Secretary (a) every address at which he practices the profession; and (b) any change of his correspondence and practising addresses within two months of such a change. Failure to do so without reasonable excuse commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of $500.
All registered medical laboratory technologists should also note the following -
- Section 11 – Publication of register and evidence of registration
- A list of the names, addresses, qualifications and dates of the qualifications of all persons whose names appear on the register has to be published annually in the HKSAR Government Gazette.
- The correspondence address provided by the registrants (which can be the practising address, the residential address, a Post Office Box number, etc.) to the Board will be published in the Gazette and the relevant Government website where the e-Gazette is published.
- Section 19(1) – Unsuitable premises for practice
- No person registered shall practise his profession in premises which are considered by the relevant board to be unsuitable for such practice.
- Registered medical laboratory technologists should note the guidelines on premises suitable for practice when they practise their profession.
- Section 20(2) – Professionally qualified directors
- A company registered under the Companies Ordinance may carry on the business of practising the profession of medical laboratory technologists if at least one director thereof is a ‘professionally qualified director’ (a Part I medical laboratory technologist) and all persons practising the profession who are employed by the company are registered medical laboratory technologist.
- A corporation which carries on the business of practising the profession of medical laboratory technologists other than in compliance with section 20(2) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for 6 months.
- Section 20(3) – Company returns
- Companies carrying on the business of practising the medical laboratory technologist profession should submit a statement to the Secretary within 14 days after 1 July in each year.
- A company which fails to comply with the requirement commits an offence which is liable for conviction to a fine of $500 and imprisonment for 3 months.
All registrants should take note of the following guidelines in practising the profession –
- Guidelines on Biosafety in the Clinical Laboratory issued by the Department of Health
- Guidelines on "Precautions to Prevent Transmission of Infection in the Clinical Laboratory" issued by the Department of Health
- Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme (2007) issued by the Department of Health.
- A practical guide for SARS laboratories issued by the Regional Office for the Western Pacific of the World Health Organisation
- A practical guide for infection control in health care facilities issued jointly by the South-East Asia and Westen Pacific Regional Offices of the World Health Organisation
- Proper referral for performance of medical test
Under Section E of Part II of the Code of Practice, no Medical Laboratory Technologist should -
- perform any tests for the purpose of medical diagnosis and treatment in the absence of a referral from registered medical , dental and/or veterinary practitioners, or a person registered in respect of a medical clinic exempted under section 8(1) of the Medical Clinics Ordinance, Cap. 343 (See note (i))
- knowingly accept, obtain, assist in obtaining or report on any specimen for the purpose of medical diagnosis and/or treatment of disease, or make any investigation for those purposes unless the diagnosis and/or treatment are to be performed by a registered medical, dental, or veterinary practitioners, or a person registered in respect of a medical clinic exempted under section 8(1) of the Medical Clinics Ordinance, Cap. 343 (See note (i)).
Note (i): Unless there is specific evidence to the contrary, it is considered that a person who has carefully followed procedures which have been approved by hospitals and similar institutions will not be considered to be in breach of this requirement. Even in those cases where there is specific evidence, the Board may take into account special circumstances that a breach of this rule should not make the person guilty of misconduct in a professional respect.
Submission of annual CPD return
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All CPD participants are reminded to report on their attendance of CPD activities during the period from 1 May of the preceding year to 30 April of the year by submitting a duly completed Record Sheet of CPD Programmes/Activities Attended (Forms IIa & IIb) to the secretariat on or before 31 May annually either by mail (Secretariat, Medical Laboratory Technologists Board, 2/F, Shun Feng International Centre, 182 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong) or by fax (no. 2865 5540). Please note that a number of CPD participants will be randomly selected for in-depth checking of their CPD attainment record. The participants concerned will be requested to submit copies of the documents of attendance to the Board for audit check in due course.
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