The Health Bureau said on Friday that specific underprivileged groups in the city will be given priority when booking public family medicine appointments for acute conditions starting November 4.

It said the new Family Medicine Out-patient Services Priority Groups Pilot Scheme is designed to provide faster access to care for those who need it most.

Eligible individuals will be able to book priority appointments for episodic consultations, such as colds, flu or gastroenteritis.

Priority groups include people receiving the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, and recipients of the Old Age Living Allowance who are aged 75 or above.

Commissioner for Primary Healthcare Pang Fei-chau said individuals from underprivileged or low-income backgrounds often have lower health awareness compared to others, and face a higher risk of developing chronic or serious diseases.

"We shall put more effort to drive more of our service to encourage them to have a higher health awareness as well as towards early detection of chronic diseases at an early phase so that in the longer term we can help them improve their health status," he said.

Pang also said the aim is to ensure that these groups do not miss out on appropriate treatment due to financial reasons.

To ensure access, Pang said 30 percent of available appointment slots will be allocated to these priority groups.

He added that authorities will monitor the programme's effectiveness and adjust the ratio as needed to meet demand.

Eligible individuals can register for the pilot scheme either through the eHealth mobile app or in person at district health centres.

Pang explained that initiative is part of a larger strategy to diversify Hong Kong's healthcare service offerings.

He pointed to community pharmacies as a potential development in the effort to provide the public with more affordable and varied choices.