Private specialist consultation fees 2026 overview: what a quoted fee includes – first visits, follow-ups, medicines and facility fees
The specialist ‘consultation fee’ published by private hospitals and medical centres is generally only the doctor's fee; medicines are generally charged separately, tests and minor procedures are charged by item, and some hospitals charge a facility fee. For the eight common specialties Book a Doctor checked, the published fee for a first consultation or per consultation (including fee caps and caps on consultations extended because of the patient's condition; general paediatrics for paediatrics) was about HK$500 to HK$3,200; a doctor must disclose the consultation fee when the patient asks.
What does a quoted consultation fee usually include?
Below are examples from the websites of private hospitals and medical centres checked by this site; practices differ between institutions. Fees are subject to confirmation by the institution.
| Item | What it means | Examples from institution websites |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor's consultation fee (first visit) | The fee for seeing the doctor for the first time | The Specialists Day Procedure Centre: cardiology first consultation HK$1,000 |
| Doctor's consultation fee (follow-up) | The fee for seeing the same doctor again later; at some institutions it is the same as the first visit or not published separately | The Specialists Day Procedure Centre: cardiology follow-up HK$800; Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong: cardiology first and follow-up visits both HK$1,200 to HK$1,500 |
| Doctor grade | Some hospitals list fee ranges by doctor grade | CUHK Medical Centre lists fees separately for specialist / assistant professor grade and professor grade |
| Resident and visiting doctors | Some hospitals list fees for resident doctors and visiting doctors separately | St. Paul's Hospital ENT Centre: resident doctors HK$680, visiting doctors from HK$680 |
| Fee cap | Some institutions list only a fee cap, and the actual fee may be lower; a cap generally applies only to specified doctors and to appointments in office hours | Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital Cardiology Centre states a cap of HK$2,500 for a first consultation, and HK$3,000 for a first consultation extended because of the patient's condition, for that hospital's doctors only |
| Consultation session | Fees in the evening, at weekends or outside office hours may be higher | Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road: ophthalmology HK$2,300 from 6 pm to 8 pm and HK$2,100 at other times |
| Medicines | Mostly not included in the consultation fee | Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road, CUHK Medical Centre and The Specialists Day Procedure Centre all state that medicines are charged separately |
| Tests, investigations and minor procedures | Charged separately by item | Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road and CUHK Medical Centre state that minor procedures, laboratory fees and similar items are charged separately |
| Facility fee | Some hospitals charge separately for use of consultation facilities | Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road states that consultations by doctors not based at the hospital carry an extra facility fee of HK$500 per 30 minutes |
Roughly how much are private consultation fees and public waiting times for each specialty?
The private column shows the published fee for a first consultation or per consultation at the hospitals and medical centres checked by this site, including fee caps and fees for consultations extended because of the patient's condition, with general paediatrics for paediatrics; the public column shows the range across clusters of the Hospital Authority's median waiting time for stable new cases (October 2025 to September 2026), and for dermatology the new-case booking position at the Department of Health's dermatology clinics.
| Specialty | Institutions listed | Private first consultation or per consultation | Public new-case wait (median for stable new cases; booking position for dermatology) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiology | 9 | HK$650 to HK$3,000 | Not listed separately in the figures the Hospital Authority regularly publishes; Medicine for reference: about 6 to 14 months |
| Dermatology | 8 | HK$650 to HK$3,000 | Department of Health dermatology clinics: as at 31 August 2026, new cases were being booked to about March 2028 to May 2029 |
| Orthopaedics | 9 | HK$500 to HK$3,200 | About 5 to 10 months |
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | 7 | HK$600 to HK$3,000 | About 4 to 12 months (gynaecology; obstetrics not listed separately) |
| Paediatrics | 8 | HK$650 to HK$3,000 | About 3 to 6 months |
| Gastroenterology and hepatology | 8 | HK$650 to HK$3,000 | Not listed separately in the figures the Hospital Authority regularly publishes; Medicine for reference: about 6 to 14 months |
| Ear, nose and throat | 9 | HK$650 to HK$3,000 | About 6 to 12 months |
| Ophthalmology | 9 | HK$650 to HK$3,000 | About 6 to 15 months |
Why can fees for the same specialty differ so much?
Some institutions publish a range rather than a single price: where a fixed charge cannot be set, the hospital must express it as a range, or state that fee information is available on request (Department of Health, Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, July 2026).
Where a fee falls within a range depends on the doctor, the grade and the patient's condition; for example, CUHK Medical Centre lists fees separately for specialist / assistant professor grade and professor grade.
For clinics other than private hospitals, ask the clinic directly about fees.
Can I find out the fee before the consultation?
A doctor must disclose the consultation fee when the patient asks, and during treatment must also disclose in advance, on request, the fees that may be needed; a clinic must display a notice stating that patients have the right to ask about fees before treatment (Medical Council, Code of Professional Conduct for the Guidance of Registered Medical Practitioners, section 12, revised 2022).
Private hospitals must have a fee schedule covering all chargeable items, and patients have the right to know the charges before treatment; notice of a change in charges must be given 14 calendar days before the new fee schedule takes effect (Department of Health, Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, Chapter 33, July 2026).
Can I get a budget estimate before a non-emergency test or operation?
Before a non-emergency treatment or procedure (for example an endoscopy or cataract surgery), you can ask the hospital for a budget estimate of the service fees; the Department of Health has recommended 30 common non-emergency treatments and procedures for which a budget estimate can be provided before admission.
Private hospitals also publish historical bill statistics for these 30 items, including the number of discharges each year and the 50th and 90th percentiles of the bill amount, listed together on a Department of Health online platform. The statistics cover only patients who stayed in a standard ward and received a single treatment or procedure, and the items counted by each hospital are not necessarily the same; they are for reference only.
How much does a public specialist cost?
At Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinics, it is HK$250 per attendance and HK$20 per drug item (4 weeks' supply), with some laboratory tests and radiology examinations charged separately (from 1 January 2026, for Eligible Persons); at Department of Health dermatology clinics it is likewise HK$250 per attendance. The Hospital Authority also has an annual charge cap of HK$10,000, by application, with no means test.
To book a new appointment at a public specialist outpatient clinic, you need a referral letter issued by a locally registered doctor within three months, and cases wait in the queue as urgent, semi-urgent or stable according to their condition.
What should I ask before booking?
How much are the first consultation and follow-ups? What grade is the doctor?
Does the consultation fee include medicines? How are medicines charged, and for how many days?
What tests, investigations or minor procedures might be needed this time, and roughly how much will they cost?
Is there a facility fee or any other charge? Is a consultation in the evening or on a holiday more expensive?
If a procedure or operation is needed later, can a budget estimate of the service fees be provided first?
Is my medical insurance accepted, can the clinic bill the insurer directly, and is a referral letter or pre-approval needed?
Common misconceptions
‘The consultation fee published online is the total cost of one visit’: no. What is published is generally only the doctor's consultation fee; medicines are generally charged separately, tests, investigations and minor procedures are charged by item, and some hospitals charge a facility fee.
‘Fees are the same for the same specialty at the same hospital’: not necessarily. Some hospitals list different fees by doctor grade, by resident or visiting doctor, and by consultation session.
Frequently asked questions
Can a doctor refuse to tell me the consultation fee?
A doctor must disclose the consultation fee when the patient asks; refusing or failing to disclose fees when a patient makes a reasonable request may be regarded as professional misconduct (Medical Council of Hong Kong, Code of Professional Conduct for the Guidance of Registered Medical Practitioners, revised 2022).
Can private hospital fees change suddenly?
A change in a private hospital's charges can take effect only after the fee schedule has been updated and published, and notice must be given 14 calendar days before the new fee schedule takes effect (Department of Health, Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, July 2026). However, some institutions' fee schedules state that fees may change without further notice, for example Precious Blood Hospital (Caritas); The Specialists Day Procedure Centre's fee schedule has similar wording. It is advisable to confirm the latest fees again when booking.
Are the historical bill statistics the price I will pay?
No. The statistics reflect past patients' actual bills and count only cases that stayed in a standard ward and received a single treatment or procedure; your actual charges depend on your condition, the length of stay, the ward chosen and so on, and you should ask the hospital for a budget estimate of the service fees.