Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics (Amendment) Regulations 2023

No. S 392

Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act 1980

Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics
(Amendment) Regulations 2023

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 22 of the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act 1980, the Minister for Health makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) These Regulations are the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics (Amendment) Regulations 2023 and, except for regulations 25(c), 31(c), 36(b) and (c) and 40(1), come into operation on 26 June 2023.

(2) Regulations 25(c), 31(c), 36(c) and 40(1) are deemed to have come into operation on 31 December 2021.

(3) Regulation 36(b) is deemed to have come into operation on 1 July 2022.

Amendment of regulation 2

2. In the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Regulations (Rg 1) (called in these Regulations the principal Regulations), in regulation 2 —

(a)

in paragraph (1), delete the definition of “community health centre”;

(b)

in paragraph (1), delete the definitions of “living donor”, “living donor organ transplant” and “specified organ”, “organ”, “part” and “registered midwife”;

(c)

in paragraph (1), before the definition of “registered nurse”, insert —

“ “nursing home” means a private hospital in respect of which the licence granted under the Act specifies that it is a nursing home;”;

(d)

in paragraph (1), delete the definitions of “registered pharmacist”, “renal dialysis centre” and “transplant-related clinical services”; and

(e)

replace paragraph (2) with —

“(2) For the purpose of these Regulations, the reference to the number of beds of a nursing home (A) includes beds which are located in the premises of another nursing home (B) but which, under an arrangement between A and B, are intended for the use of patients who are admitted to and who are under the management and care of A.”.

Amendment of regulation 4

3. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 4 —

(a)	in paragraphs (1) and (2), replace “a private hospital, medical clinic or healthcare establishment” with “a nursing home”; and
(b)	in paragraph (1), replace “any private hospital, medical clinic or healthcare establishment” with “the nursing home”.

Amendment of regulation 5

4. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 5(5)(a) and (7A), replace “private hospital, medical clinic or healthcare establishment” with “nursing home”.

Amendment of regulation 7

5. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 7, replace “private hospital, medical clinic or healthcare establishment, as the case may be” with “nursing home”.

Deletion of regulation 8

6. In the principal Regulations, delete regulation 8.

Amendment of regulation 9

7. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 9 —

(a)	in the regulation heading, replace “private hospital, medical clinic or healthcare establishment” with “nursing home”;
(b)	in paragraphs (1), (2) and (3), replace “private hospital, medical clinic or healthcare establishment” wherever it appears with “nursing home”;
(c)	in paragraph (1), replace “hospital, clinic, laboratory or healthcare establishment, as the case may be” with “nursing home”;
(d)	in paragraph (3)(b) and (c), replace “the hospital, medical clinic or healthcare establishment” wherever it appears with “the nursing home”; and
(e)	in paragraph (3)(c), delete “, as the case may be”.

Amendment of regulation 10

8. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 10 —

(a)

in the regulation heading, replace “private hospital, etc.” with “nursing home”;

(b)

replace paragraphs (1) and (2) with —

“(1) A nursing home must be managed by a medical practitioner or a registered nurse.”;

(c)

in paragraph (3), replace “private hospital, maternity home, nursing home, medical clinic or healthcare establishment” wherever it appears with “nursing home”; and

(d)

in paragraph (3), replace “hospital, home, clinic, laboratory or healthcare establishment” with “nursing home”.

Amendment of regulation 11

9. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 11 —

(a)	in the regulation heading, replace “private hospital” with “nursing home”;
(b)	replace “private hospital” wherever it appears with “nursing home”; and
(c)	replace “hospitalisation” with “accommodation at the nursing home”.

Amendment of regulation 12

10. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 12(1) and (3), replace “private hospital, medical clinic or healthcare establishment” with “nursing home”.

Amendment of regulation 12A

11. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 12A —

(a)

replace paragraph (1) with —

“(1) For the purposes of section 11 of the Act, the licensee of every nursing home must —

(a)	establish at least one quality assurance committee; and
(b)	ensure that each quality assurance committee complies with the requirements set out in this regulation and in the Directives for Quality Assurance Committees (Nursing Homes), as published on the Internet website of the Ministry of Health at https://www.moh.gov.sg and updated from time to time (called in this regulation the directives).”;

(b)

in paragraphs (2) and (3), replace “healthcare institution” wherever it appears with “nursing home”;

(c)

in paragraphs (2) and (3)(a) and (b), delete “applicable to that quality assurance committee”; and

(d)

in paragraph (4), replace “every directive specified in the Sixth Schedule” with “the Directives for Quality Assurance Committees (Nursing Homes)”.

Deletion of regulation 12B

12. In the principal Regulations, delete regulation 12B.

Replacement of Part II heading

13. In the principal Regulations, in Part II, replace the Part heading with —

“LICENSING REQUIREMENTS”.

Amendment of regulation 13

14. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 13 —

(a)	in the regulation heading, replace “private hospitals” with “nursing homes”; and
(b)	replace “private hospital” wherever it appears with “nursing home”.

Deletion of regulation 14

15. In the principal Regulations, delete regulation 14.

Amendment of regulation 15

16. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 15 —

(a)	delete paragraph (1);
(b)	in paragraph (2), delete “a maternity home or”; and
(c)	in paragraph (3), replace “private hospital” with “licensee of a nursing home”.

Replacement of regulation 16 and deletion of regulation 17

17. In the principal Regulations, replace regulations 16 and 17 with —

“No surgical operations or endoscopic procedures

16. A licensee of a nursing home must not permit any surgical operations or endoscopic procedures to be carried out in the nursing home, other than a procedure that —

(a)	is associated with minimal tissue damage and blood loss; and
(b)	may be safely performed in an environment other than an operating theatre.”.

Amendment of regulation 18

18. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 18(1) —

(a)	replace “private hospital” with “licensee of a nursing home”; and
(b)	delete “of the hospital”.

Amendment of regulation 19

19. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 19 —

(a)	in paragraph (1), replace “private hospital” with “nursing home”; and
(b)	delete paragraph (3).

Deletion of regulations 20 and 21

20. In the principal Regulations, delete regulations 20 and 21.

Amendment of regulation 22

21. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 22 —

(a)	replace “private hospital, other than a maternity home,” with “nursing home”; and
(b)	replace “the private hospital” with “the nursing home”.

Amendment of regulation 23

22. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 23, replace “private hospital” with “nursing home”.

Deletion of regulation 24

23. In the principal Regulations, delete regulation 24.

Amendment of regulation 25

24. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 25 —

(a)	delete paragraphs (1) and (2);
(b)	in paragraph (3), replace “private hospital” with “nursing home”;
(c)	delete paragraphs (4) and (5); and
(d)	in paragraph (8), delete “(5) or”.

Amendment of regulation 26

25. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 26 —

(a)	in paragraphs (1) and (2), replace “private hospital” with “nursing home”;
(b)	in paragraph (1), delete “or, in the case of a maternity hospital, an adequate number of appropriately trained nurses and midwives,”; and
(c)	in paragraph (2), replace “(Cap. 209)” with “1999”.

Deletion of regulation 27

26. In the principal Regulations, delete regulation 27.

Amendment of regulation 28

27. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 28, replace “private hospital” with “licensee of a nursing home”.

Deletion of regulations 29 and 29A

28. In the principal Regulations, delete regulations 29 and 29A.

Amendment of regulation 30

29. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 30 —

(a)	replace “a private hospital” with “a licensee of a nursing home”;
(b)	in paragraph (a), replace “hospital” with “nursing home”; and
(c)	replace “the private hospital” wherever it appears with “the nursing home”.

Amendment of regulation 32

30. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 32 —

(a)	in paragraph (1), replace “private hospital” with “nursing home”; and
(b)	delete paragraphs (2) and (3).

Amendment of regulation 33

31. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 33 —

(a)	in paragraphs (1) and (2), replace “private hospital” with “nursing home”;
(b)	in paragraph (1), replace “the hospital” with “the nursing home”; and
(c)	in paragraph (4), replace “(Cap. 137)” with “1976”.

Amendment of regulation 34

32. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 34, replace “private hospital” with “licensee of a nursing home”.

Deletion of Part III

33. In the principal Regulations, delete Part III.

Amendment of regulation 56A

34. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 56A, replace “private hospital” wherever it appears with “nursing home”.

Amendment of regulation 56B

35. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 56B —

(a)	replace “private hospital, medical clinic or healthcare establishment” wherever it appears with “nursing home”; and
(b)	delete “, as the case may be”.

Amendment of regulation 56C

36. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 56C —

(a)	in paragraphs (1) and (2), replace “private hospital or medical clinic” wherever it appears with “nursing home”;
(b)	in paragraph (4)(b)(ii), replace “section 53(2) or 54” with “section 59D(2) or 59E”;
(c)	in paragraph (4)(b)(ii), replace “(Cap. 174)” with “1997”;
(d)	in paragraph (6), in the definition of “approved institution”, replace “private hospital or medical clinic” with “nursing home”; and
(e)	in paragraph (6), in the definition of “collaborative prescribing practitioner”, delete “or registered pharmacist”.

Deletion of regulations 57, 58 and 59

37. In the principal Regulations, delete regulations 57, 58 and 59.

Replacement of Second Schedule and deletion of Third Schedule

38. In the principal Regulations, replace the Second and Third Schedules with —

“SECOND SCHEDULE

Regulation 18(1)

Specialised procedures or
services in nursing homes

1.	Blood and blood product collection, processing, storage, distribution and transfusion services (including autologous blood transfusion)

2.	Renal dialysis”.

Replacement of Fourth Schedule and deletion of Sixth Schedule

39. In the principal Regulations, replace the Fourth and Sixth Schedules with —

“FOURTH SCHEDULE

Regulation 5(1) and (7)

Fees

First column

Second column

1.	The fees payable for the following licences issued under section 5 of the Act are as follows:

(a)	for a licence issued for a nursing home

(i)	$550, where the licence is for a period not exceeding one year

(ii)	$1,100, where the licence is for a period of 2 years

(b)	for a licence issued for a nursing home which is a charity under the Charities Act 1994

$12, where the licence is for a period not exceeding 2 years

”.

Miscellaneous amendments

40.—(1) In the principal Regulations —

(a)	in regulation 2(1), in the definitions of “living donor organ transplant” and “specified organ”, replace “(Cap. 131A)” with “1987”;
(b)	in regulation 2(1), in the definition of “registered midwife”, replace “(Cap. 209)” with “1999”;
(c)	in regulation 2(1), in the definition of “registered nurse”, after “Nurses and Midwives Act”, insert “1999”;
(d)	in regulation 2(1), in the definition of “registered pharmacist”, replace “(Cap. 230)” with “2007”;
(e)	in the Fourth Schedule, in paragraph 1(a), in the first column, replace “(Cap. 37)” with “1994”; and
(f)	in the Fourth Schedule, in paragraph 1(d)(i) and (ii), (i) and (j), in the first column, after “Charities Act”, insert “1994”.

(2) In the principal Regulations, in the following provisions, replace “Director” wherever it appears with “Director‑General”:

Regulation 3(1), (2) and (3)

Regulation 4(1) and (2)

Regulation 5(1), (3), (5), (6), (7A) and (8)

Regulation 6(1)

Regulation 9(1) and (3)(c)

Regulation 12(1) and (3)

Regulation 12A(3)(c) and (d)

Regulation 15(2) and (3)

Regulation 18(1) and (2)

Regulation 56A(a) and (b)

Regulation 56B(a)

Regulation 56C(1), (2), (3), (4)(d)(i) and (5)

Regulation 56C(6), definition of “approved institution”

Regulation 60.

[G.N. Nos. S 223/2003; S 237/2003; S 411/2003; S 308/2008; S 831/2010; S 189/2011; S 450/2013; S 493/2014; S 213/2015; S 450/2015; S 169/2016; S 110/2017; S 430/2017; S 103/2018; S 414/2018; S 73/2021; S 285/2021; S 1040/2021; S 671/2022]

Made on 15 June 2023.

CHAN YENG KIT

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Health,
Singapore.

[MH 78:44/1; AG/LEGIS/SL/248/2020/2 Vol. 2]

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