How to choose a paediatric surgeon 2026: what Paediatric Surgery treats, how it differs from Paediatrics, checking specialist registration, public and private fees, insurance
To choose a paediatric surgeon, first check on the Medical Council's Specialist Register that the doctor is listed under Paediatric Surgery (specialty code S33), then choose public or private by referral requirements, waiting time and fees. Paediatric Surgery is a surgical specialty that diagnoses and treats surgical conditions from around the time of birth to adolescence (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025). Book a Doctor's Paediatric Surgery list is in English-name order, not of preference (this page is compiled by this site).
What does a paediatric surgeon treat?
Paediatric Surgery is a surgical specialty that diagnoses and treats surgical conditions from around the time of birth (the perinatal period) to adolescence, and also performs minimally invasive surgery and endoscopic examination and treatment for patients in this age group, and comes under The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025); the specialty's name on the Medical Council register is Paediatric Surgery (S33); for the Chinese and English names of other specialties, see Chinese–English table of medical specialties.
On the Medical Council register, Paediatrics (S10), each paediatric subspecialty and Paediatric Surgery are different specialties; Paediatrics comes under the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians, and Paediatric Surgery under The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong.
Which doctor follows up a particular problem in a child, and whether to refer, is decided by the treating doctor according to the child's condition.
How do I check whether a doctor is a Paediatric Surgery specialist?
On the Medical Council of Hong Kong website, choosing ‘Paediatric Surgery’ (S33) 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 does a child get a referral to a public specialist? 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?.
If your condition gets worse while you wait, you can contact the specialist outpatient clinic to ask for an earlier appointment; in an emergency, go to the Accident and Emergency Department.
| Item | Public (Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinic) | Private (hospitals, medical centres and clinics) |
|---|---|---|
| How to start | 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 | As arranged by the hospital or clinic |
| Triage | New cases are usually first assessed by a nurse and then reviewed by a specialist, and classified as urgent, semi-urgent or stable; the Hospital Authority's target is to keep the median waiting time for urgent and semi-urgent new cases within two weeks and eight weeks respectively | As arranged by the clinic |
| Consultation fee | HK$250 per attendance for Eligible Persons, the same for first and follow-up visits (from 1 January 2026) | Ask the hospital or clinic; for what a consultation fee quote generally includes, see Private specialist fees overview |
| Medicines and tests | HK$20 per drug item, charged in units of 4 weeks (self-financed drugs excluded); some laboratory tests and non-emergency radiology examinations are charged separately | Medicines are generally charged separately, tests and investigations are charged by item, and some hospitals charge a facility fee |
| Cost protection | An annual charge cap of HK$10,000 (excluding inpatient charges in special wards and self-financed drugs and devices), by application, with no means test; those in financial difficulty can apply for a medical fee waiver | Depends on your medical insurance cover |
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 paediatric surgeon?
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 Paediatric Surgery (S33) 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.
A child who may need surgery: 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 paediatric surgeon, 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
Who is a good paediatric surgeon?
What you can check yourself: whether the doctor is listed under Paediatric Surgery 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 Paediatric Surgery by district, use Book a Doctor's Paediatric Surgery list (13, 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.
What is the difference between Paediatric Surgery and Paediatrics?
Paediatrics (S10) provides medical care for infants, children and adolescents from around the time of birth to adolescence, including following up health, growth and development, and preventing and treating disease, and comes under the Hong Kong College of Paediatricians; Paediatric Surgery (S33) diagnoses and treats surgical conditions in the same age group and comes under The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025). Whether a child's problem needs referral to Paediatric Surgery is decided by the treating doctor according to the child's condition; for choosing a paediatrician, see How to choose a paediatrician.
Up to what age does a paediatric surgeon see children?
The scope of Paediatric Surgery runs from around the time of birth (the perinatal period) to adolescence; Paediatrics likewise covers the period from around the time of birth to adolescence (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025).
How much does a child pay at a Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinic?
From 1 January 2026, Eligible Persons pay HK$250 per attendance at a Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinic, the same for first and follow-up visits; Eligible Persons include children under 11 who are Hong Kong residents; for details, see Public healthcare fee reform 2026.
Not sure whether to see a paediatric surgeon: 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.