By Fineline Cube 
China’s National Health Commission (NHC), National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA), National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and National Administration of Disease Control jointly released the “Action Plan for Enhancing Elderly Nursing Service Capacity,” targeting 90% of community health centers to be regularly staffed by qualified nurses from secondary+ hospitals by 2027.
Policy Goals & Timeline
| Goal Category | 2027 Target |
|---|---|
| Resource Expansion | Significantly increase elderly nursing beds and facilities |
| System Integration | Complete coverage of institutional, community, and home-based care |
| Staffing Quality | >90% of community/township centers staffed by intermediate/senior nurses |
| Service Standards | Sustainably improve service quality metrics |
Implementation Mandates
| Requirement | Scope |
|---|---|
| Hospital Departments | All qualified secondary+ general/TCM hospitals must establish geriatric medicine departments |
| Urban Facilities | Provincial capitals and cities >3M population with >20% elderly must have ≥1 nursing home/center |
| Rural Facilities | Qualified counties encouraged to establish nursing homes (centers) |
| Primary Care Upgrade | Support selected primary/secondary hospitals to enhance elderly nursing functions |
Market & Investment Impact
- Infrastructure Spending: The plan mandates facility upgrades and new construction across 3,000+ hospitals and 10,000+ community centers, creating a ¥60‑90 billion (US$8.5‑12.7 B) investment opportunity through 2027.
- Workforce Gap: To achieve the 90% staffing target, China must deploy an additional 50,000‑70,000 qualified nurses, requiring ¥8‑12 billion in training and recruitment programs.
- Private Sector Opportunity: Private nursing home operators and medical equipment manufacturers (remote monitoring, fall detection) are poised to benefit from public-private partnership incentives.
- Provincial Deadlines: Local governments must submit implementation plans by Q2 2026, with central budget allocations expected in H2 2026.
Forward‑Looking Statements
This brief contains forward‑looking statements regarding policy implementation timelines, market size estimates, and investment impacts. Actual results may differ due to local execution capacity, fiscal constraints, and demographic shifts.-Fineline Info & Tech