Developing Health and Social Care / Welfare Policies

Hello everyone! Ever wondered who decides the rules for our hospitals, or how help is given to the elderly or families in need? That's what this chapter is all about! We're going to explore how health and social care policies are created. Think of them as the master plan for keeping our community healthy and caring. Understanding this is super important because these "rules" affect you, your family, and everyone in Hong Kong every single day. Let's get started!


What Exactly Are Health & Social Care Policies?

Don't let the word "policies" scare you! A policy is simply a plan of action or a set of rules agreed upon by a government or an organisation to achieve a specific goal.

Analogy Time! Think of policies like the rules at your school. School rules (like "no running in the corridor" or "hand in homework on time") are there to create a safe and effective learning environment. In the same way, health and social care policies are the government's "rules" to create a healthy and supportive society for everyone.

So, what do these policies cover in Hong Kong?
  • Healthcare: How public hospitals are run, what services are subsidised, and vaccination programmes for children. For example, the policy of having low fees at public hospital A&E departments ensures everyone can get emergency care.
  • Social Care / Welfare: Providing financial support to those in need (like the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance - CSSA), services for the elderly (like community care centres), and support for people with disabilities.
Key Takeaway

Policies are the official plans and rules that guide how health and social care services are delivered in a society. They are the 'how-to' guide for building a healthy community.


Why Are Policies So Different Around the World?

If you have a friend in the UK or the USA, you might notice their healthcare system is very different from Hong Kong's. That's normal! Policies are tailor-made for each country, and they differ for many reasons. Let's break them down.

1. Money Matters (The Economy)

A country's wealth has a huge impact on its policies. It's simple: more money means more resources to spend on health and social care.

  • Local Economy: A strong economy means the government collects more taxes, which can be used to fund more hospitals, hire more social workers, and provide better services. A country with a weaker economy has to make tougher choices about where to spend its limited money.
  • Global Economy & Organisations: International groups like the World Bank can also play a role. They might lend money to developing countries to improve their healthcare, but these loans often come with conditions that shape the country's policies.

2. What's Happening in Society? (Social Context)

Policies are created to solve real-world problems. So, what's happening in a country right now will determine its policy priorities.

  • Example 1: A country experiencing a famine (a widespread shortage of food) will make food aid its number one social policy.
  • Example 2: Hong Kong has a rapidly ageing population. Because of this social context, many new policies are focused on providing better elderly care services.

3. Public vs. Private: The Big Debate

This is a major difference between countries! Who should provide the care?

  • Public Services: Funded and run by the government (e.g., Hong Kong's public hospitals).
  • Private Services: Run by businesses to make a profit (e.g., Hong Kong's private hospitals).

The debate is about finding the right balance. This leads to tensions and different policy choices.

  • Example: The United States has a heavily privatised healthcare system, where most people rely on private insurance. The United Kingdom has the National Health Service (NHS), which is mostly public and free. Hong Kong uses a dual system, mixing both.

4. What Do People Believe In? (Social Values & Political Concerns)

A society's shared values and beliefs strongly influence its policies. What do people think is important? What is fair? What is the government's responsibility?

  • Example: Hong Kong's smoking policy. A few decades ago, people could smoke almost anywhere. But social values changed, and people became more concerned about the dangers of second-hand smoke. This political concern led to strict anti-smoking laws, banning smoking in restaurants, parks, and workplaces. This policy reflects the value our society places on public health.

5. Culture Club (Cultural Understandings)

Culture shapes how we see health, illness, and treatment. Policies often have to reflect these cultural beliefs to be effective.

  • Example: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. In Hong Kong, the government has policies that regulate and support TCM, including setting up public TCM clinics. This kind of policy might not exist in a Western country where TCM is less common.
Memory Aid!

Remember the 5 reasons policies differ with E-S-P-V-C:

Economy (Money)
Social Context (What's happening now)
Public/Private (Who provides the service)
Values (What we believe is important)
Culture (Our traditions and beliefs)


Why Do We Need NEW Policies All The Time?

Policies aren't meant to last forever. Society is always changing, so policies must change too! Here are the main reasons why new policies are constantly in demand.

1. New Problems Emerge

The world can throw unexpected challenges at us. A new health crisis requires a brand-new playbook.

  • Example: The outbreak of a major infectious disease like SARS or COVID-19. Suddenly, governments around the world needed to create new policies for quarantine, mask-wearing, border controls, and vaccination.

2. People's Needs are Changing

As society develops, what people need from their government changes.

  • Example: As Hong Kong's population becomes more educated about health, people want more than just basic care. They want services that focus on prevention and well-being, leading to policies that promote healthy lifestyles. The needs of an ageing population also drive demand for new policies on elderly care.

3. Increasing Demand for Services

A growing population or greater awareness of available services can lead to a huge increase in demand.

  • Example: More people going to public hospitals means longer waiting times. This creates a demand for new policies to solve this problem, such as building more hospitals or improving efficiency.

4. We Want Things to Be Better (Effectiveness & Efficiency)

People and governments are always looking for better ways to do things. A policy might work, but can it work better?

  • Effectiveness: Does the policy actually achieve its goal?
  • Efficiency: Does it achieve its goal without wasting money, time, or resources?
  • This drive for improvement leads to new policies, like using technology to make hospital check-ins faster.

5. Making Things Fairer (Reducing Inequalities)

A key goal of social policy is to ensure fairness and support the most vulnerable people in society. If a group is being left behind, a new policy may be needed to help them.

  • Example: If it's found that low-income children are not getting enough nutritious food, the government might create a new policy like a school lunch subsidy programme to reduce this inequality.
Key Takeaway

Policies must evolve. New problems, changing needs, higher demand, the desire for improvement, and the goal of fairness all push for the creation of new and better policies.


Who Are the Policy-Makers? The Key Players

Making a policy isn't a one-person job. It involves a team of global and local players.

The Big Guys: World Health Organization (WHO)

The WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. Think of it as the world's top health advisor.

  • What they DO: They conduct research, provide expert recommendations, set global health standards (e.g., for air quality), and help coordinate the response to global health emergencies like pandemics.
  • What they DON'T DO: They cannot force a country to follow their advice. They are influencers, not lawmakers.
  • Analogy: The WHO is like a world-class coach. It gives every country (the "players") the best advice and strategies for health, but it's up to each country to decide whether to follow the game plan.

The Local Heroes: Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs)

NGOs are non-profit, voluntary groups that are independent of the government. In Hong Kong, you probably know many of them!

  • Examples in HK: The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Po Leung Kuk.
  • Their Role in Policy:
    1. Identify Problems: Because NGOs work directly with people in the community, they are often the first to spot emerging problems that the government might not see.
    2. Advocate for Change: They use their research and experience to pressure the government to create or change policies. They are the "voice of the people."
    3. Deliver Services: Many NGOs are funded by the government to help carry out social policies, like running elderly homes or youth centres.

Our Planet, Our Health: The Ecology Link

Finally, we need to remember that our health is deeply connected to the environment around us. This link is called ecology.

What is Ecology & Health?

Ecology and health studies how our physical environment—the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the waste we produce—affects our well-being.

  • Pollutants & Industrial Waste: Can contaminate our air and water, leading to respiratory problems and other diseases.
  • Food Safety: Unsafe food handling can cause widespread illness.
  • Clean Environment: A clean and safe environment is fundamental to good public health.

The WHO Approach: Prevention is the Best Medicine!

The WHO strongly promotes the idea that it's better to prevent people from getting sick in the first place than to treat them after they are already ill. A huge part of this is creating policies that protect our environment.

Therefore, policies on the following are also health policies:

  • Control of pollutants from cars and factories.
  • Safe disposal of industrial waste.
  • Strict regulations on food safety from farm to table.
Did you know?

When the government promotes recycling or creates policies to reduce plastic waste, it's not just helping the planet—it's also a public health policy! A cleaner environment leads to a healthier population. This is a perfect example of the link between ecology and health.