How to choose a dermatologist 2026: where public dermatology services are, checking specialist registration, public and private fees and waiting, insurance
To choose a dermatologist, first check on the Medical Council's Specialist Register that the doctor is listed under Dermatology & Venereology (specialty code S15), then choose public or private by referral requirements, waiting time and fees. The Department of Health's Social Hygiene Service has dermatology clinics providing specialist dermatology services; appointments require a referral letter. Book a Doctor's Dermatology & Venereology list shows 90 specialists (as of 25 October 2026) in English-name order, not of preference (this page is compiled by this site).
What does a dermatologist treat?
Dermatology & Venereology is part of adult internal medicine, responsible for the prevention, investigation, diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases and sexually transmitted diseases, and comes under the Hong Kong College of Physicians (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025); the specialty's name on the Medical Council register is Dermatology & Venereology (S15); for its English name, see Dermatology: English name and code.
Most eczema is mild and is mainly treated by primary care doctors; for more serious or urgent cases, doctors refer patients to the dermatology clinics of the Department of Health's Social Hygiene Service (Government reply to the Legislative Council, November 2023).
Which doctor follows up a particular skin problem is decided by the treating doctor according to the patient's condition.
How do I check whether a doctor is a Dermatology & Venereology specialist?
On the Medical Council of Hong Kong website, choosing ‘Dermatology & Venereology’ (S15) in the Specialist Register opens the list of doctors registered in that specialty; searching by name shows the specialty and the specialist registration number in the specialist registration field of the doctor's record. For the steps, see How to check a doctor's registration and specialty.
A doctor must be on the Specialist Register to hold himself or herself out as a specialist, and can use only the title of the specialty in which he or she is registered (Medical Council, Code of Professional Conduct for the Guidance of Registered Medical Practitioners, section 7, October 2022).
For what qualification abbreviations on a name card mean, see What is FHKAM?.
How do I get a referral to public dermatology? Can I book a private dermatologist directly?
Appointments at Department of Health dermatology clinics require a referral letter. Our analysis: for a private specialist, you can ask the hospital or clinic directly how to book; if you use medical insurance, whether a referral letter or pre-approval is needed depends on the policy terms, and you can ask the insurer first.
‘Eligible Persons’ in the table mainly means holders of a Hong Kong Identity Card and children under 11 who are Hong Kong residents; for details, see Public healthcare fee reform 2026.
The Department of Health's Social Hygiene Service has nine dermatology clinics providing specialist dermatology services in various districts; the Hospital Authority also had eight doctors providing dermatology services at that time (Government reply to the Legislative Council, November 2023). The list of clinics is on the Centre for Health Protection's Social Hygiene Service web page; for each institution's consultation fees and the charges at Department of Health dermatology clinics, see Private dermatologist fees compared.
| Item | Public (Department of Health dermatology clinics) | Private (hospitals, medical centres and clinics) |
|---|---|---|
| How to start | Appointment requires a referral letter | As arranged by the hospital or clinic |
| Consultation fee | HK$250 per attendance for Eligible Persons (from 1 January 2026) | At the 8 private hospitals and medical centres this site checked, the published dermatology fee for a first consultation or per consultation was about HK$650 to HK$3,000 (including fee caps and caps on consultations extended because of the patient's condition) |
| Medicines and tests | HK$20 per drug item (up to 4 weeks' supply); some laboratory tests and radiology examinations are charged separately (basic items free) | Medicines are generally charged separately, tests and investigations are charged by item, and some hospitals charge a facility fee |
How do I compare hospitals or medical centres?
When comparing, put the same item on the same basis. Private hospitals must have a fee schedule covering all chargeable items, and patients have the right to know the charges before treatment (Department of Health, Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, July 2026).
For each private hospital's fees, see Private hospital fees.
| What to compare | How to put it on the same basis |
|---|---|
| Consultation fee | Whether the published fee is for a first visit, a follow-up or a fee cap; whether it is listed by doctor grade or consultation session; what is published is generally only the doctor's consultation fee |
| Test fees | Whether it is an outpatient or inpatient (standard room) price; whether the doctor's fee and report fee are included; whether there is a set fee for holders of a Hospital Authority referral letter |
| Other charges | Whether there is a facility fee; how medicines are charged |
| Budget estimate | Before a non-emergency procedure or admission, you can ask for a budget estimate of the service fees; the Department of Health has set out 30 common non-emergency treatments and procedures for which private hospitals can provide a budget estimate before admission |
| Insurance | Whether the hospital can bill the insurer directly; whether a referral letter or pre-approval is needed |
What should I check when using medical insurance for a dermatologist?
Before seeing a private specialist, confirm three things with the insurer: whether the policy covers specialist outpatient visits, whether it is limited to a designated medical network, and whether a referral letter or pre-approval is needed; see Using medical insurance for a private specialist.
The Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme covers only individual indemnity hospital insurance; outpatient insurance is outside the Scheme. The Standard Plan covers up to 1 outpatient or emergency consultation before a hospital stay or day surgery, and up to 3 follow-up outpatient visits within 90 days after discharge or day surgery, which must be directly related to the illness or injury requiring the hospital stay or day surgery, at HK$580 per visit and HK$3,000 per policy year (Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme, Standard Plan policy template, July 2022).
Some insurers offer pre-approval (commonly called ‘免找數’): if both the policy and the hospital offer direct billing, you can apply to the insurer before admission and the insurer pays the hospital directly; the approved amount is an estimate, and before discharge you still pay charges not listed in the ‘letter of guarantee’, such as the deductible, co-payment and items outside the cover (Insurance Authority, January 2024); see Medical insurance pre-approval.
What should I ask before booking? What should I bring to the first visit?
Is the doctor listed under Dermatology & Venereology (S15) on the Medical Council's Specialist Register?
How much are the first consultation and follow-ups? What grade is the doctor?
Does the consultation fee include medicines? What tests might be needed this time, and roughly how much will they cost?
Is my medical insurance accepted, can the clinic bill the insurer directly, and is a referral letter or pre-approval needed?
If a procedure or admission is needed later, can a budget estimate of the service fees be provided first?
What to bring: a referral letter (if any), previous test reports and a list of the medicines you are taking; see What to prepare before a specialist appointment.
Skin problems: when should I call 999 or go to A&E straight away?
If you feel it is an emergency, call 999 straight away. The situations in which this site suggests calling 999, with the source for each, are listed in Why do we suggest calling 999?.
If it is not urgent and you are not sure whether you need a dermatologist, you can see a family doctor first; which specialty to be referred to is decided by the attending doctor according to your condition.
Frequently asked questions
Who is a good dermatologist?
What you can check yourself: whether the doctor is listed under Dermatology & Venereology on the Medical Council's Specialist Register, whether to go public or private, how much it costs, and the questions to ask before booking. To find a doctor in Dermatology & Venereology by district, use Book a Doctor's Dermatology & Venereology list (90, as of 25 October 2026), each doctor page showing the register check date, in order of English name, not of preference. Book a Doctor does not publish patient reviews, because it is hard to verify whether an online reviewer actually saw the doctor; instead it lists what you can check yourself, such as register entries, qualifications and practice arrangements, with their sources and dates.
Do public hospitals have dermatology services?
The Department of Health's Social Hygiene Service has nine dermatology clinics providing specialist dermatology services, with appointments requiring a referral letter; the Hospital Authority also had eight doctors providing dermatology services at that time (Government reply to the Legislative Council, November 2023). The eight specialties for which the Hospital Authority regularly publishes waiting times do not include dermatology.
How long is the wait for public dermatology?
New-case appointments at the dermatology clinics were being scheduled up to about March 2028 to May 2029 (Department of Health, as at 31 August 2026); the Social Hygiene Service has used a triage system since 2018, and new cases of severe skin disease are generally seen within eight weeks (Government reply to the Legislative Council, November 2023).
Does a child with eczema need to see a dermatologist?
When eczema in children does not improve with treatment, referral to a dermatology specialist or specialist centre is recommended (Hong Kong College of Paediatricians Guideline Development Group 2020 review, published 2021).
Why is dermatology called Dermatology & Venereology?
The scope of this specialty covers both skin diseases and sexually transmitted diseases (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025); the specialty's name on the Medical Council register is Dermatology & Venereology (S15).
Not sure whether I need a dermatologist: can I see a family doctor first?
Primary healthcare is the first point of contact for individuals and families in a continuing healthcare process, and family doctors are the main healthcare professionals providing primary healthcare; the Primary Healthcare Blueprint's directions include improving the arrangements for family doctors to refer patients to specialists and hospitals (Health Bureau, December 2022). For choosing a family doctor, see How to choose a family doctor.
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Dermatology & Venereology specialists in Hong Kong, by district →