United Christian Hospital

United Christian Hospital is a Christian-founded district general hospital in Kwun Tong of New Kowloon in Hong Kong, operated by the Hospital Authority. The hospital has 1,174 beds and 3,000 staff, serving eastern Kowloon.

Founded in 1973, it has links to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital via the Hong Kong Christian Council. The hospital's first chief medical superintendent was Dr. Edward Hamilton Paterson.

History
United Christian Hospital had its foundation stone laid on 2 April 1971 by the Governor of Hong Kong, David Trench, and was officially opened on 6 December 1973 by Murray MacLehose, Trench's successor as Governor of Hong Kong.

The hospital was expanded in the 1990s. At that time, Blocks J, K, L and S were built, and Block P was redeveloped. The project was completed in 1999.

Services

 * 24-hour Emergency Department
 * Medicine & Geriatrics
 * General Surgery
 * Obstetrics and Gynaecology
 * Paediatrics
 * Orthopaedic and Traumatic Surgery
 * Psychiatry
 * Intensive Care
 * Anaesthesia
 * Diagnostic Radiology
 * Pathology
 * Ear-Nose-Throat
 * Ophthalmology
 * Neurosurgery
 * Dentistry & Maxillofacial Surgery

The hospital provides in-patient, day-patient and out-patient care; it also manages the psychiatry, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and geriatric day hospital services of Yung Fung Shee Memorial Centre as well as the Eye Clinic, pharmacy and radiology services of the Pamela Youde Polyclinic at Cha Kwo Ling Road.

The hospital provides Community Nursing Services (CNS) to patients in Kwun Tong.

Redevelopment and expansion
The hospital is currently undergoing a major expansion and redevelopment project. This involves the demolition of Blocks F, G, and H, as well as the low block of Block P. A major new ambulatory block (Block A) will be built, a new Oncology Centre will be provided, and various other expansions and renovations will be completed. The project is set to be completed in 2023.

At the end of January 2018, Secretary for Food and Health Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee expressed her concern over the chronic shortage of nurses across hospitals in Hong Kong. Among hospitals being affected, United Christian Hospital was cited as the worst-hit public medical service provider. Statistics showed its bed occupancy rate reached a peak of 120%, a rate of usage well above its maximum capacity. From a wider perspective of the problem across other hospitals in Hong Kong, the situation of recruitment of medical staff was not any better. A shortage of labour has long been an issue in public hospitals. In 2017, of the 2,000 vacancies available, only 80% were filled, amounting to about 1,800 new nurses being hired by the public hospital. Adding to the problem was the incoming flu season during the winter, which placed more pressure on medical staff across hospitals in Hong Kong due to the added workloads.