A hotline offering support to carers has received some 14,600 calls since it was introduced last September – or more than 80 a day on average – the government said on Wednesday.

Welfare minister Chris Sun said around a third of the calls to 182183 were from people seeking counselling, while a quarter were regarding support in the community.

Callers also asked about issues relating to caring, as well as financial matters.

At a Legislative Council meeting, Sun told lawmakers that hotline staff had referred 17 people to outreach teams so that crisis intervention could be provided.

Since December, the administration has also offered subsidies to 135 private care homes to provide day respite services for elderly people.

New People's Party lawmaker Lai Tung-kwok questioned why the service had only been used 20 times by the end of February.

Sun said in response that he thinks that number is acceptable, adding that carers have many concerns.

"When carers choose the respite services they have a lot of considerations. Do they trust the centre? Is it the right place? Is it accessible? There are so many things that are churning through their mind," he told lawmakers.

The minister said that officials hope to extend the elderly day care network by adding another 175 spots, to make the service more accessible.