What a Grade A Tertiary Hospital in China Actually Is

Grade A tertiary (三级甲等, often called San Jia) combines a hospital level with an assessment grade. It is useful background when choosing care in China, but it does not identify the right department, available appointment or suitable treatment for an individual patient.

What do “tertiary” and “Grade A” mean?

Tertiary / level three (三级) describes the hospital's level and role in the healthcare system. Grade A (甲等) is an assessment grade within that level. A hospital's category is a separate question: general hospitals, specialist hospitals and traditional Chinese medicine hospitals have different clinical scopes. “San Jia” does not mean every institution is a large general hospital practising only Western medicine.

The National Health Commission's 2025 assessment policy focuses on hospital quality, safety and management. A rating is not a list of identical equipment at every site. Do not infer a universal bed threshold, CT specification or MRI field strength from the label alone; confirm the relevant service at the actual campus.

How should I compare hospitals?

A tertiary hospital may have a referral role familiar to someone who uses a teaching hospital elsewhere. That is a broad comparison, not formal equivalence between accreditation systems or proof of equal clinical outcomes.

Compare the department's experience with your condition, the proposed clinician and available support. A high hospital-wide patient count does not establish the experience or results of the team treating you. Ask what information the team needs to assess whether it can help.

Neither a famous national centre nor a regional hospital is automatically the correct starting point. The choice depends on the clinical question, department fit, confirmed availability and follow-up arrangements. Location and rating alone do not establish shorter waits, identical protocols or a lower total bill.

Before booking: a practical checklist

• Identity and scope: verify the hospital's current grade, category, campus and department through official hospital or health-authority information.
• Clinical fit: ask the receiving team to review the relevant records and confirm which consultation is appropriate. Ask how further referral would be arranged if needed.
• Access and language: confirm passport registration, payment methods, appointment availability and interpretation for both the consultation and consent discussions.
• Costs: request an itemised estimate distinguishing consultation, tests, medicines, consumables, procedures and optional services. Confirm what could change after medical review. Keep hospital charges separate from any agreed PriumCare services.
• Records and follow-up: ask which signed reports and image files are available, how to obtain them, in which language and format, and whether retrieval or translation costs extra. Confirm report timing with the hospital and plan who reviews the findings after you return.

Frequently asked questions

Do all San Jia hospitals practise Western medicine?

No. Check whether the institution is a general, specialist, traditional Chinese medicine or integrated medicine hospital, then confirm the actual department and treatment approach with the clinician.

Does the rating tell me which scanner will be used?

No. Ask about the examination available at the chosen campus and let the treating team determine the appropriate protocol. Equipment specifications alone do not establish suitability for your case.

Can I take DICOM images home without repeating a scan?

Ask about DICOM export before the examination, including access and any expiry of download links. China's results-recognition rules are conditional on quality and clinical need; repeat testing can still be necessary. They do not establish automatic overseas acceptance. Ask your receiving doctor which images, reports and translations are needed.

Is a public San Jia hospital always cheaper than a private hospital?

The grade alone cannot answer that. Compare itemised estimates for the same clinical scope and service setting, including potential additional tests and record services.

Are all departments equally suitable?

No. Hospital assessment and matching a particular department to your condition are separate tasks.

Where PriumCare fits

PriumCare can help organise records and coordinate enquiries, appointments and report collection within the agreed service scope. Hospital clinicians determine diagnosis, tests and treatment; PriumCare does not make those medical decisions. Appointment and report availability require hospital confirmation.

Further reading

• Health screening overview
• Planning a health check during a China trip
• Understanding China's healthcare system
• How PriumCare coordinates care

Official sources

• NHC: explanation of the 2025 tertiary-hospital assessment standards (Chinese)
• NHC: management measures for recognition of examination and laboratory results (Chinese)