How to choose a gynaecological oncologist 2026: what Gynaecological Oncology covers, how it differs from Obstetrics & Gynaecology, checking specialist registration, public and private routes and fees, insurance

What does a gynaecological oncologist treat?

Gynaecological Oncology is a branch of Obstetrics & Gynaecology whose scope is the prevention and diagnosis of cancers of the female reproductive organs and their surgical and medical treatment, and it comes under the Hong Kong College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025); the specialty's name on the Medical Council register is Gynaecological Oncology (S50). For the other branches under Obstetrics & Gynaecology, see How to choose an obstetrician-gynaecologist.

Compiled by this site: Gynaecological Oncology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Clinical Oncology are different specialties on the Medical Council register, with their scopes in the table below; for the specialties related to cervical cancer and ovarian cancer, see How to choose a cervical cancer doctor and How to choose an ovarian cancer doctor.

Which specialty takes charge of an individual patient, and how the patient is treated, is decided by the treating doctor according to the condition.

How do I check whether a doctor is a Gynaecological Oncology specialist?

On the Medical Council of Hong Kong website, choosing ‘Gynaecological Oncology’ (S50) 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.

Doctors can present themselves as specialists only if they are on the Specialist Register, and can use only the title of the specialty in which they are registered (Medical Council, Code of Professional Conduct for the Guidance of Registered Medical Practitioners, section 7, October 2022).

For what the qualification abbreviations on a doctor's business card mean, see what FHKAM means.

How do I get a public referral? Can I book a private specialist directly?

To book a new appointment at a Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinic, you need a referral letter issued by a locally registered doctor within the last three months; a letter from a private doctor is also accepted. 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.

For what a consultation fee quote generally includes, see Private specialist fees overview; for the booking steps, see How to book a public specialist outpatient clinic; for a general comparison of the two routes, see Public or private specialist?; for cancer drug charges and subsidies, see Cancer financial support in Hong Kong.

If the condition gets worse while waiting, you can contact the specialist outpatient clinic and ask for an earlier appointment; in an emergency, go to Accident & Emergency.

How do I compare hospitals and medical centres?

When comparing, look at the same item on the same basis. Private hospitals must keep 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 should I check when using medical insurance for a gynaecological oncologist?

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, and what should I bring to the first visit?

Is the doctor listed under Gynaecological Oncology (S50) on the Medical Council's Specialist Register?

How much are the first consultation and a follow-up? 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?

Do you accept my medical insurance, can you bill the insurer directly, and is a referral letter or pre-approval needed?

If a procedure or hospital stay is needed later, can you give a budget estimate first?

If surgery or other treatment is needed, will the treatment plan be discussed together with other specialties?

What to bring: the referral letter (if any), previous test reports and a list of the medicines you are taking; see what to prepare before seeing a specialist.

Gynaecological cancer: 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 gynaecological oncologist, you can see a family doctor first; which specialty to be referred to is decided by the attending doctor according to your condition (see the questions below).

Frequently asked questions