Hong Kong has been under British administration for 146 years and it has developed a two-tier social system where East meets West. It will be returned to Chinese sovereignty in less than ten years from now. Changes towards the transfer of government seem unavoidable. The medical services are no exception to the current scene. A new statutory Hospital Authority is due to be set up in 1990 to run hospital services, while a new Department of Health is to organise non-hospital health matters.