Health and Medical Care
Check the Development Control guidelines for health and medical care developments
Last updated 9 June 2026
Advisory Notes
The guidelines set out in this handbook for the various development control parameters will generally be applied by URA in the consideration of a development application. However, if the circumstances of a case or the planning considerations relevant to a case so warrant, URA may in its discretion decide to depart from these general guidelines. Persons intending to carry out a development are advised to take this into consideration in the conduct of their affairs and check with URA through enquiries or development applications to confirm if their proposals can be allowed.
The guidelines, principles and illustrations found in the handbook series are not exhaustive in covering all possible site conditions and building designs. In evaluating the development applications, URA reserves the right to evaluate and impose conditions not covered in the handbook in respond to the specific design of the development proposal depending on merits.
Introduction
Health and Medical Care (HMC) developments include hospitals, polyclinics and nursing homes. These are zoned HMC in the Master Plan. All HMC developments are licensed by the Ministry of Health (MOH). For more details on MOH’s licensing requirements, see the Healthcare Application and Licensing Portal (HALP) (opens in new tab).