1. What will happen if I make a complaint to the Medical Council of Hong Kong about a doctor (or to the Dental Council of Hong Kong about a dentist)?

If you lodge your complaint with the Medical Council, it will first be investigated by the Chairman and the Preliminary Investigation Committee of the Council (if necessary). If an inquiry hearing is recommended, then you can attend the hearing if it is held in public. The Medical Council may, if necessary, require you to give evidence under oath as a witness. You may then be questioned by the Council members who are hearing the case and by the lawyer who is defending the doctor. The Medical Council has its own lawyers who may help you without charging you legal costs. However, you can still hire your own lawyer, in which case you will have to bear the legal costs yourself.

The Medical Council can impose punishments that range from a warning, a reprimand, or removal of the doctor's right to practice (in serious cases).

You should also note the following important points:

• The Council is only empowered to consider the professional misconduct of registered doctors.
• No monetary compensation can be awarded by the Council to the complainant.
• In addition to complaining to the Medical Council, the complainant may, at the same time, take legal action or lodge a complaint with another organisation.

This information has been prepared with reference to the Medical Council's publication "How the Medical Council deals with Complaints", which can be viewed at http://www.mchk.org.hk/complain/index.htm .

Complaints against registered dentists can be made to the Dental Council of Hong Kong. The procedures and possible results are more or less the same as those of the Medical Council. Please read the Dental Council's publication "Complaints against Registered Dentists" at http://www.dchk.org.hk/tc/ipaf/index.htm for more information.