How Much Does Emergency Care Cost in Hong Kong?｜A&E Charges, Waiting Times and Triage System Explained

Whether it is a fever in the middle of the night, sudden pain or an accidental injury, many people may not immediately know which nearby hospitals have an Accident and Emergency Department, or which one would be the most suitable to visit. Prudential has put together this reference guide to all 18 public hospital A&E Departments in Hong Kong, together with a selection of private hospital emergency services. The hospital information is organised by district to help you find the right support more quickly when you need it.

Introduction to the 2026 Public Healthcare Charging Reform

From 1 January 2026, Hong Kong’s public healthcare charging reform officially came into effect. Its aim is to allocate public healthcare resources more accurately, so that Accident and Emergency Departments and public hospitals can prioritise patients who are poor, urgent, serious or critical. At the same time, the Government and the Hospital Authority introduced enhanced medical fee waiver measures, as well as an annual cap of HK$10,000 on public healthcare service charges, in order to ease the medical burden on patients with chronic illness or those with serious sudden illness. Below is a summary of the Hospital Authority’s latest charging guidance:

• A&E charges: The charge is HK$400 per attendance for eligible persons. If a patient is assessed under the A&E triage system as Category I “Critical” or Category II “Emergency”, the A&E charge will be waived. Category III “Urgent”, Category IV “Semi-urgent” and Category V “Non-urgent” patients will generally be required to pay HK$400.
• Inpatient charges: For eligible persons admitted to acute beds, the daily charge is HK$300. For convalescent, rehabilitation, infirmary and psychiatric beds, the daily charge is HK$200.
• Outpatient charges: Specialist outpatient clinics charge HK$250 per attendance, plus HK$20 per item of medication. Family Medicine Clinics charge HK$150 per attendance, plus HK$5 per item of medication. Medication is charged in units of four weeks.
• Laboratory and imaging services: Pathology investigations and non-urgent radiology services are charged on a graded basis. Basic items are free of charge, while advanced and high-end items are charged on an item-by-item basis.
• Introduction of an annual charging cap: An annual cap of HK$10,000 has been introduced for public healthcare service charges, covering eligible medical expenses such as inpatient, emergency and specialist outpatient services. After an eligible patient has accumulated the relevant paid charges within the year, an application may be submitted via HA Go or at the hospital payment office.

What is an Accident and Emergency Department service?

An Accident and Emergency Department provides urgent medical assessment and treatment for patients with immediate or potentially life-threatening conditions, such as major trauma, heart attack, stroke and breathing difficulties.

According to the Government press release “LCQ22: Services of accident and emergency departments of public hospitals”, if the condition is not critical or urgent, patients should consider seeking treatment at a general outpatient clinic or a private healthcare provider instead, so that A&E resources can be focused on those who truly need them.

How are public hospital A&E services charged?

Under the public healthcare charging reform, the fees for A&E services at Hospital Authority hospitals were updated with effect from 1 January 2026:

• Eligible persons (generally Hong Kong residents)
  Patients triaged as Critical/Emergency: free of charge
  Patients triaged as Urgent/Semi-urgent/Non-urgent: HK$400 per attendance
  If a patient chooses to leave the A&E Department before being seen by a doctor, they may apply after registration for a refund of HK$350.

• Non-eligible persons (non-Hong Kong residents)
  The A&E charge is HK$2,100 per attendance.
  If a patient leaves the A&E Department before being seen by a doctor, they may apply after registration for a refund of HK$1,850.

A&E waiting process

According to the Hospital Authority’s service guidance, the process at a public hospital A&E Department is as follows:

1. Registration: present identification documents and register your personal details
2. Triage assessment: an initial clinical assessment is carried out by the triage nurse
3. Waiting: treatment priority is determined according to triage category, not on a first-come, first-served basis
4. Medical consultation and examinations: including any necessary medication, imaging or laboratory tests
5. Discharge or admission arrangements

Throughout the process, the length of the wait mainly depends on the triage category and the pressure on the A&E Department at that time, rather than the actual number of people waiting.

A&E triage system

All public hospital A&E Departments in Hong Kong use a five-level triage system to determine the order in which patients are treated according to clinical urgency:

Triage category	Description	Hospital Authority service target
Category 1 (Critical)	Immediate threat to life, such as cardiac arrest	Immediate treatment
Category 2 (Emergency)	Potential threat to life, such as stroke	95% treated within 15 minutes
Category 3 (Urgent)	Serious but stable condition, such as an obvious fracture	90% treated within 30 minutes
Category 4 (Semi-urgent)	Less serious, but still requires treatment	Longer waiting time
Category 5 (Non-urgent)	Minor condition, such as a cold	Potentially the longest waiting time

Triage may be reassessed if a patient’s condition changes. Even if a patient is taken to hospital by ambulance, this does not necessarily mean they will be treated first.

List of all 18 public hospital A&E Departments in Hong Kong

The Hospital Authority operates 18 public hospital Accident and Emergency Departments, providing consultation and treatment for patients who require emergency services. For ease of reference, the list below is organised by region.

Region	Hospital	Address	Telephone
Hong Kong Island	Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital	3 Lok Man Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong	2595 6111
	Queen Mary Hospital	102 Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong	2255 3838
	Ruttonjee Hospital	266 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong	2291 2000
Kowloon	Caritas Medical Centre	111 Wing Hong Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon	3408 7911
	Kwong Wah Hospital	25 Waterloo Road, Kowloon	2332 2311
	Queen Elizabeth Hospital	30 Gascoigne Road, Kowloon	3506 8888
	United Christian Hospital	130 Hip Wo Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon	3949 4000
New Territories	Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital	11 Chuen On Road, Tai Po, New Territories	2689 2000
	North District Hospital	9 Po Kin Road, Sheung Shui, New Territories	2683 8888
	North Lantau Hospital	8 Chung Yan Road, Tung Chung, Lantau Island	3467 7000
	Pok Oi Hospital	Au Tau, Yuen Long, New Territories	2486 8000
	Prince of Wales Hospital	30-32 Ngan Shing Street, Sha Tin, New Territories	3505 2211
	Princess Margaret Hospital	2-10 Princess Margaret Hospital Road, Kwai Chung, New Territories	2990 1111
	Cheung Chau Hospital	Cheung Chau Hospital Road, Tung Wan, Cheung Chau	2986 2100
	Tin Shui Wai Hospital	11 Tin Tan Street, Tin Shui Wai, New Territories	3513 5000
	Tseung Kwan O Hospital	2 Po Ning Lane, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O	2208 0111
	Tuen Mun Hospital	23 Tsing Chung Koon Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories	2468 5111
	Yan Chai Hospital	7-11 Yan Chai Street, Tsuen Wan, New Territories	2417 8383

For the latest information, please refer to the Hospital Authority’s official website.

How long is the wait at public hospital A&E Departments?

The Hospital Authority keeps the reference longest waiting times for each public hospital A&E Department under continuous review and update. You can check them in the following ways:

• Hospital Authority official website: You can check the estimated A&E waiting time for each triage category at each hospital on the “A&E Waiting Time” page.
• “HA Go” mobile app: The “Queue Easy” function in the app lets you view the latest waiting situation in real time.

Private hospital emergency and 24-hour outpatient services

Private hospitals may provide “emergency / emergency outpatient” services or “24-hour outpatient services”. The nature of the service, triage arrangements and charging structure differ from those of public hospitals, so it is advisable to call in advance before seeking treatment.

Below is a reference list of selected private hospitals in different districts that offer 24-hour outpatient services:

Hong Kong Island

• Canossa Hospital
• Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road
• Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital
• Matilda International Hospital
• St. Paul's Hospital

Kowloon

• Evangel Hospital
• Hong Kong Baptist Hospital
• Precious Blood Hospital (Caritas)
• St. Teresa's Hospital

New Territories

• The Chinese University of Hong Kong Hospital
• Union Hospital
• Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Tsuen Wan

For 24-hour outpatient / emergency services at private hospitals, consultation fees are generally adjusted according to the time period, such as weekdays, weekends or late night hours, and you should also be aware of additional charges for tests, medication and other items. The above list of private hospitals offering 24-hour outpatient services is compiled with reference to the hospitals’ official websites, and the information published on each hospital’s official webpage shall prevail.

Additional information: 2026 latest public hospital charges schedule

Service category	Eligible persons	Non-eligible persons	Remarks
Accident and Emergency Department	HK$400 per attendance	HK$2,100 per attendance	Eligible persons triaged as Category I “Critical” or Category II “Emergency” are exempt from A&E charges. Category III “Urgent”, Category IV “Semi-urgent” and Category V “Non-urgent” patients are generally required to pay HK$400.
Day procedure and treatment services	HK$250 per attendance	HK$7,400 per attendance	For eligible persons admitted to an acute bed for day procedure and treatment services and discharged before midnight on the same day, the charge is HK$250. For non-eligible persons receiving day procedure and treatment services at day healthcare facilities, the charge is HK$7,400 per attendance.
Specialist outpatient clinics	HK$250 per consultation	HK$850 per consultation	Includes general clinics and allied health clinics. Medication charges are calculated separately for each prescribed item.
Specialist outpatient medication	HK$20 per item	HK$90 per item	Each prescribed medication item is charged in units of four weeks, excluding self-financed drugs.
Family Medicine Clinics	HK$150 per consultation	HK$500 per consultation	Includes Family Medicine Clinics and general clinics.
Family Medicine Clinics medication	HK$5 per item	HK$40 per item	Each prescribed medication item is charged in units of four weeks, excluding self-financed drugs.
Injection or dressing services	HK$50 per attendance	HK$250 per attendance	Applies to injection or dressing services provided by the relevant clinic or service.
Geriatric day hospital	HK$100 per consultation	HK$2,700 per consultation	Applies to geriatric day hospital services.
Rehabilitation day hospital	HK$100 per consultation	HK$1,900 per consultation	Applies to rehabilitation day hospital services.
Psychiatric day hospital	Free of charge	HK$1,800 per consultation	Psychiatric day hospital services remain free of charge for eligible persons.
Community nursing services (general)	HK$100 per attendance	HK$800 per attendance	Applies to general community nursing services.
Community nursing services (psychiatric)	Free of charge	HK$2,000 per attendance	Community psychiatric nursing services are free of charge for eligible persons.
Community allied health services	HK$100 per attendance	HK$2,000 per attendance	Applies to community allied health services.
Pathology investigations: basic items	Free of charge	HK$400 per item	Basic items are free for eligible persons; non-eligible persons are charged by item of service.
Pathology investigations: advanced items	HK$50 per item	HK$800 per item	Advanced items are charged per investigation.
Pathology investigations: high-end items	HK$200 per item	HK$16,100 per item	High-end items carry higher charges, and non-eligible persons in particular should note the actual fees payable.
Non-urgent radiology services: basic items	Free of charge	HK$400 per item	Basic items include X-ray services and similar examinations.
Non-urgent radiology services: advanced items	HK$250 per item	HK$1,600 per item	Advanced items include fluoroscopy, contrast ultrasound and mammography.
Non-urgent radiology services: high-end items	HK$500 per item	HK$4,700 per item	High-end items include CT scans, MRI scans, angiography and PET-CT scans.

 

Additional information: 2026 public hospital bed charges schedule

Bed charge item	Eligible persons	Non-eligible persons	Remarks
Acute beds (per day)	HK$300 per day	HK$7,400 per day for admission to general hospitals	Inpatient charges are calculated on a daily basis, with the daily cut-off time at midnight.
Convalescent, rehabilitation, infirmary and psychiatric beds (per day)	HK$200 per day	HK$3,100 per day for admission to psychiatric hospitals	-
Intensive care unit (per day)	According to public inpatient service arrangements	HK$35,600 per day	-
High dependency unit (per day)	According to public inpatient service arrangements	HK$21,000 per day	-
Associated bed charges for baby nursery / incubator care (per day)	Charged according to bed type; for children under 12 and babies who cannot be discharged at the same time as their mother, the inpatient charge is calculated at half the rate of the bed type occupied	HK$3,100 per day	-

The above charging information is compiled from the Hospital Authority website, the fees and charges have been effective since 1 January 2026. The information published on the Hospital Authority’s webpage shall prevail.

How can A&E charges be paid?

A&E charges can be paid in the following ways:

• Payment at the A&E registration counter: Patients may follow the instructions of on-site staff to complete payment at the A&E registration counter or relevant service counter, using cash or cheque.
• Hospital payment office or accounts office: For follow-up bills, tests or other medical charges, patients may settle payment at the hospital payment office according to the instructions on the bill.
• HA Go mobile app: Patients can view their bills through HA Go and pay medical charges directly.
• Electronic payment methods: Public hospitals accept payment by credit card or e-wallets, such as AlipayHK and WeChat Pay HK.
• Octopus or Payment by Phone Service (PPS): Public hospitals also accept Octopus and PPS.

Refund mechanism for leaving A&E before consultation

From 1 January 2026, if a patient leaves the A&E Department after payment but before being seen by a doctor, they may apply for a refund within 24 hours after registration.

• Eligible persons: Refund of HK$350 (after deducting a HK$50 administrative and triage service fee).
• Non-eligible persons: Refund of HK$1,850 (after deducting a HK$250 administrative and triage service fee).

Refund applications can be made via HA Go or at the A&E registration counter. The Hospital Authority generally processes applications within about one month. If the patient paid by credit card or a designated e-wallet, the refund will usually be returned to the original electronic payment account. If payment was made by Octopus or other methods, the refund may be issued by cheque.

Prudential VHIS Gives You an Additional Private Healthcare Option

With higher public hospital charges and relatively long waiting times, you may wish to consider Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) cover to help share the cost of treatment at private hospitals, allowing you to choose private healthcare services with comparatively shorter waiting times.

Prudential VHIS Series includes government-certified Standard Plans and Flexi Plans, offering protection options ranging from essential to more comprehensive cover for customers with different needs. The series also provides Medical Expenses Direct Billing Service** and a range of value-added services*, such as 24-hour worldwide emergency assistance services, Treatment Sure Services¹ (second medical opinion), and Medical Green Channel Services², helping customers receive more attentive support from diagnosis and treatment through to recovery.