China’s National Health Commission (NHC) and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) jointly issued the Notice on the Implementation Plan for the Expansion and Quality Enhancement Project of Medical Rehabilitation and Nursing Care, a national blueprint that commits to significant results by 2030 and the fundamental establishment of a service system characterized by complete functions, upper‑and‑lower linkage, integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western medicine, and efficient accessibility – designed to meet the health needs of the entire population across all dimensions and throughout all stages of life.
Policy Snapshot
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Issuing Authorities | National Health Commission (NHC); National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) |
| Document | Notice on the Implementation Plan for the Expansion and Quality Enhancement Project of Medical Rehabilitation and Nursing Care |
| Issue Date | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Target Year | 2030 – significant results in expansion and quality enhancement of services |
| Bed Density Goal | Approximately 0.48 rehabilitation and nursing care beds per 1,000 population by 2030 |
| Planning Horizon | Anchored in the “15th Five‑Year Plan” period |
Service Network Architecture
- Tiered Network: The notice stresses building a rehabilitation and nursing care service network with secondary hospitals as the main body, primary healthcare institutions as the baseline grid, tertiary hospitals providing guidance and support, and other healthcare institutions actively participating.
- Service Scope: The network aims to deliver high‑quality functional rehabilitation and nursing care services covering physical, cognitive and psychological aspects – an integrated, whole‑patient care model.
- TCM–Western Integration: The target system explicitly embeds the integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine as a defining feature.
Infrastructure & Capacity Targets
- Bed Density: By 2030, China aims to reach approximately 0.48 rehabilitation and nursing care beds per 1,000 population.
- Public Facilities Mandate: Prefecture‑level cities with large populations, high levels of aging and strong demand for rehabilitation and nursing services should each establish at least one public rehabilitation hospital and one nursing home.
- Priority Support: The state will prioritize support for prefecture‑level and above cities with a permanent urban population of over 1 million to implement the expansion and enhancement project.
- Key Clinical Specialties: During the “15th Five‑Year Plan” period, support will in principle be granted to every province for the construction of at least one key clinical specialty in rehabilitation or nursing care; provincial and prefectural‑level key clinical specialty development will lean strategically toward rehabilitation and nursing disciplines.
Market Impact & Outlook
- Policy Tailwind for Providers: The mandate for public rehabilitation hospitals and nursing homes in large, aging prefecture‑level cities signals sustained public investment and expansion opportunities across the rehabilitation and long‑term care sector.
- Capacity Build‑Out: The 0.48 beds per 1,000 population target and the focus on cities with over 1 million permanent urban residents point to a multi‑year capacity build‑out in equipment, facilities and workforce training.
- Discipline Elevation: Directing key clinical specialty development toward rehabilitation and nursing disciplines elevates these fields within the hospital system, likely driving recruitment, training programs and clinical standards upgrades.
- Aging‑Driven Demand: The plan aligns China’s health infrastructure with the needs of a rapidly aging population, positioning medical rehabilitation and nursing care as a structural growth pillar of the healthcare system through 2030.
Forward‑Looking Statements
This brief contains forward‑looking statements regarding the implementation of the NHC–NDRC expansion and quality enhancement plan, including bed‑density targets, facility construction mandates and key clinical specialty development timelines. Actual outcomes may differ due to risks including local government execution capacity, funding allocation, workforce availability and evolving policy guidance at provincial and municipal levels.-Fineline Info & Tech
