Elderly Health Centre in Hong Kong: Fees and Enrolment
An elderly health centre is a primary care clinic run by the Elderly Health Service of the Department of Health. There are 18, one in each district of Hong Kong. Membership is open to anyone aged 65 or above, carries an annual fee of $110 from 1 January 2026, and covers health assessment, counselling, health education and curative treatment.
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An Elderly Health Centre is a Department of Health clinic for people aged 65 and over. Generated illustration. No real person is depicted.
On this page
- What an Elderly Health Centre is and who runs it
- Who can enrol at an Elderly Health Centre and how to apply
- What the annual membership fee covers
- What health services an Elderly Health Centre provides
- How Elderly Health Centres compare with District Health Centres, hospitals and private doctors
- How the Visiting Health Teams reach elderly people who cannot travel
- Common questions
What an Elderly Health Centre is and who runs it
An Elderly Health Centre is a primary care clinic run by the Elderly Health Service, the Department of Health service established in 1998 to improve primary health care for elderly people in the community. The Department of Health's Elderly Health Service page describes the work as preventive, promotive and curative care delivered by a multi-disciplinary team. The page was last updated on 1 October 2019.
The Department of Health runs 18 centres, one in each of Hong Kong's 18 districts. Members are provided with health assessment, counselling, health education and curative treatment. The list of the 18 Elderly Health Centres gives each centre's address, telephone number and service days.
From 5 October 2026 the Primary Healthcare Commission is integrating the centres into the district health network in two phases. The first phase covers nine centres: North District, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun Wu Hong, Tsuen Wan, Kwai Shing, San Po Kong, Yau Ma Tei, Shau Kei Wan and Aberdeen. The remaining nine are expected to follow by 2027-28.
The Elderly Health Centre service integration page sets out the transition: a member at a first-phase centre with no appointment date will be served at a District Health Centre from December 2026, and the capacity of elderly health services is expected to double once integration is complete.
Who can enrol at an Elderly Health Centre and how to apply
Any person aged 65 or above is eligible to become a member. An application may go to any one centre, but only one: a second application cancels all earlier ones.
The Department of Health sets out four application routes.
- Apply in person at any one Elderly Health Centre, where name, date of birth, telephone number and address are collected.
- Ask a family member or friend to apply on the person's behalf with copies of identity documents.
- Apply online on the Elderly Health Service website.
- Send the completed form with a photocopy of the Hong Kong Identity Card to one centre by fax or post.
Applications are normally processed within 10 working days, and an acknowledgement letter is sent by post; if none arrives 20 working days after submission, the centre should be contacted. The original Hong Kong Identity Card must be shown at the assessment.
A health assessment date is not fixed when the application is made; the centre telephones once a date is available. An applicant who misses a first appointment without a reason is treated as withdrawn.
In a written reply to the Legislative Council in September 2025, the Health Bureau reported a median wait for a first health assessment of 30.1 months in 2024, against 23.2 months in 2023, from 17.2 months at Kwai Shing to 44.7 months at Tuen Mun Wu Hong.
A member who moves house can give the same centre a new address, or cancel and apply afresh elsewhere, which may affect waiting time.
What to bring on the day of the first health assessment
- The original Hong Kong Identity Card or other proof of identity
- The fees
- A record of chronic medications, such as the original drug packaging
- Clinic or hospital records, including any drug allergy record
- Documents for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance or a medical fee waiver
- A document bearing the residential address
If typhoon signal No. 8 or the black rainstorm warning is hoisted, all centres suspend service temporarily and the appointment is rescheduled.
What the annual membership fee covers
A fee is collected only on the day a person is enrolled and attends the health assessment. The Department of Health adjusted its clinic fees from 1 January 2026. Under the current Department of Health fee schedule, an eligible person pays an annual enrolment fee covering health screening and health promotion services, excluding mammography.
| Charge at an Elderly Health Centre | Eligible persons |
|---|
| Annual fee for enrolment, health screening excluding mammography, and health promotion services | $110 |
| Each attendance for medical treatment | $150 |
| Each attendance for injection and dressing | $50 |
| Prescriptions relating to an attendance | $5 per item, up to 4 weeks |
| Radiology imaging and pathology testing, basic | No charge |
| Radiology imaging, intermediate, including mammography | $250 |
| Pathology testing, intermediate | $50 |
The charge for an attendance for medical treatment does not include the cost of prescriptions, radiology imaging and laboratory investigations. A non-eligible person pays higher charges, including $770 for the annual enrolment fee.
The Agetide guide to the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme covers the annual vouchers that elderly people can use with private healthcare providers.
What health services an Elderly Health Centre provides
For enrolled members the Department of Health lists health assessment, counselling, health education and curative treatment, provided from a family medicine perspective by a multi-disciplinary team.
The 2026/27 Government Vaccination Programme began on 17 September 2026 and provides seasonal influenza vaccination for members. Since 4 May 2026, member consultation and vaccination are provided only on specified days of the week.
Fourteen centres provide pneumococcal vaccination to non-members aged 65 or above with high-risk conditions. Fourteen centres provide mRNA COVID-19 vaccination to elderly people aged 65 or above, subject to prior booking.
Under the integration, the scope of the health assessment is expanding from cognition, mobility and vision to cover nutrition, hearing, psychological capacity and urinary problems.
Agetide's guide to chronic conditions covers long-term illness in more detail.
How Elderly Health Centres compare with District Health Centres, hospitals and private doctors
| Service | Who it is for and how to join | What it provides | What it costs |
|---|
| Elderly Health Centre (Department of Health) | People aged 65 or above; apply to one of 18 centres | Health assessment, counselling, health education, curative treatment, vaccination | Annual fee of $110 from 1 January 2026 for eligible persons, plus $150 per attendance |
| District Health Centre or DHC Express | Hong Kong Identity Card holders including elderly people; register free and enrol in eHealth | Health risk assessment, personalised health plan, family doctor pairing, nurse clinics, allied health | Registration and lifelong membership free; some programmes carry a co-payment |
| Private family doctor | Anyone; book directly with the clinic | Consultation and treatment decided by the doctor | Charged by the clinic |
| Hospital Authority outpatient clinic | Referred through the Hospital Authority | Specialist and primary healthcare services under the Hospital Authority | Set by the Hospital Authority |
Hospital outpatient care sits with the Hospital Authority rather than the Department of Health. District Health Centres were set up across all 18 districts in 2022.
Agetide lists rehabilitation and therapy services offered in Hong Kong, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and nursing support after a hospital stay.
How the Visiting Health Teams reach elderly people who cannot travel
The Elderly Health Service runs 18 Visiting Health Teams, one per district, reaching into the community and residential care settings with health promotion activities for elderly people and their carers.
The aim is to raise health awareness, strengthen self-care ability and improve the quality of caregiving. All Visiting Health Team services are free of charge.
Recipients include elderly people and their carers: family members, home helpers and domestic helpers, care home and elderly centre staff, and volunteers.
Themes are published month by month; October 2026 covers mental health, stroke, and COVID-19 and influenza vaccination. Providers can consult the list of activities or contact the teams directly.
For services that support an elderly person at home, see the Agetide service directory.
Common questions
Can an elderly person join more than one Elderly Health Centre?
No. An application may be submitted to only one of the 18 centres, and a second application cancels earlier ones. A member who moves house can give the same centre a new address, or cancel and apply afresh elsewhere, which may affect waiting time.
How much does it cost to become an Elderly Health Centre member?
For an eligible person the annual enrolment fee is $110, covering health screening excluding mammography and health promotion services, under the schedule adjusted from 1 January 2026. Each attendance for medical treatment is listed at $150, injections and dressings at $50, and prescriptions at $5 per item.
What is the waiting time for an Elderly Health Centre health assessment?
The Health Bureau told the Legislative Council in September 2025 that the median wait for a first health assessment across all centres was 30.1 months in 2024, against 23.2 months in 2023. The 2024 figure ran from 17.2 months at Kwai Shing to 44.7 months at Tuen Mun Wu Hong.
Topics
- elderly health centre
- primary care
- department of health
- district health centre
- elderly health service
Related on Agetide
Related guides
Sources
- Department of Health, Government of the Hong Kong SAR. Main Service Areas: Elderly Health Service, Elderly Health Service. https://www.dh.gov.hk/english/main/main_ehs/main_ehs.html. Published: 2019-10-01. Accessed: 2026-10-14.
- Department of Health, Government of the Hong Kong SAR. EHS - EHC (Elderly Health Centres), Elderly Health Centres. https://www.elderly.gov.hk/english/contactus/elderly_health_centres.html. Published: 2026. Accessed: 2026-10-14.
- Department of Health, Government of the Hong Kong SAR. EHS - FAQ, FAQ. https://www.elderly.gov.hk/english/about_us/faq.html. Published: 2026. Accessed: 2026-10-14.
- Department of Health, Government of the Hong Kong SAR. Fees and Charges for Public Health Care Services provided by the Department of Health, Elderly Health Service. https://www.dh.gov.hk/english/useful/useful_fee/useful_fee_ehs.html. Published: 2026. Accessed: 2026-10-14.
- Department of Health, Government of the Hong Kong SAR. EHS - Elderly Health Centre Service Integration, Elderly Health Centre Service Integration. https://www.elderly.gov.hk/english/elderly_health_centres/ehc_integration.html. Published: 2026. Accessed: 2026-10-14.
- District Health Centre, Primary Healthcare Commission. General Public, Who can register as a DHC member?. https://www.dhc.gov.hk/en/general_public.html. Published: 2026. Accessed: 2026-10-14.
- Health Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR. LCQ22: Elderly Health Centres, Reply. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202509/10/P2025091000541.htm. Published: 2025-09-10. Accessed: 2026-10-14.
- Department of Health, Government of the Hong Kong SAR. DH to adjust service fees and implement new arrangement for drug dispensing service starting January 1 next year, Fee adjustments. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202510/31/P2025103100371.htm. Published: 2025-10-31. Accessed: 2026-10-14.
Written and edited by the desk collective The Longlight Desk. No individual is named as the author. Agetide editorial standards.
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