Hong Kong Hospital Authority sacks intern doctor over series of breaches

Investigation launched after authority noticed social media posts discussing intern’s behaviour

Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has fired an intern doctor for serious misconduct including breaching patient privacy and professional confidentiality.

The authority said on Friday that it maintained a high standard of ethics, integrity and discipline, adding that the dismissal followed an investigation by an independent committee.

The intern had violated medical ethics and integrity, infringed upon patient privacy and professional confidentiality, and failed to adhere to instructions when performing medical procedures, it said.

The investigation was launched after the authority noticed social media posts discussing the intern’s behaviour.

The authority earlier alleged that the intern accessed a clinical medical system using another person’s account without authorisation at Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po and browsed data on Tuen Mun Hospital patients. The authority did not elaborate further on the records accessed.

The intern, who called herself Angel on social media, had posted photos of herself undergoing having X-rays on her knee and placing one of her feet on an X-ray machine. She described the scans as “perks” for herself and claimed she had “chronic knee pain”.