Public hospital workers could be fired if they are found to be responsible for medical incidents that harm the safety of patients.

That is one of the ways the Hospital Authority (HA) plans to improve its staff accountability system, after the completion of a review last November following a spate of incidents.

HA chairman Henry Fan said on Thursday that there will be thorough investigations for each incident, and therefore it should not be difficult to ascertain the level of responsibility in each case.

He said workers could be issued verbal or written warnings, or they would be asked to go through training of no more than three months if their performance is deemed to be substandard.

Payrises could be suspended or delayed as part of the system, Fan said, adding that the most severe penalty would be dismissal.

He said in the past, some senior staff believed that safety issues were under the purview of safety managers.

Now that they too could face the sack, Fan said they will be allowed to make personnel decisions over medical incidents.

"Dismissal is an extreme measure that won't be taken lightly, " he told reporters following the authority's board meeting.

"But if a colleague commits an error which is so serious as to warrant dismissal, then we'd have to do it. I can only answer you in general terms."

Fan stressed that all decisions – including appraisal grades going forward – will be subject to appeal.

He went on to say the new system – which currently has no timeline for implementation – is not about setting a deterrent amongst staff, but rather to improve the safety culture.

The HA chairman added that besides penalties, the authority would also introduce more rewards, such as an extra point on the pay scale of those who do well.