No. S 411
Healthcare Services Act 2020
Healthcare Services
(Ambulatory Surgical Centre Service)
Regulations 2023
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 57 of the Healthcare Services Act 2020, the Minister for Health makes the following Regulations:
PART 1
PRELIMINARY
Citation and commencement
1.  These Regulations are the Healthcare Services (Ambulatory Surgical Centre Service) Regulations 2023 and come into operation on 26 June 2023.
Definitions
2.  In these Regulations —
“acute hospital service licensee” means a person who is licensed to provide an acute hospital service;
“ambulatory surgical centre service” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the Act;
“anaesthesiologist” means a medical practitioner who is registered under section 22 of the Medical Registration Act 1997 in the branch of anaesthesiology;
“clinical privilege”, in relation to a medical practitioner or dentist, means the type or types of relevant procedures that the medical practitioner or dentist is permitted to provide;
“clinical support personnel” means any individual (other than a medical practitioner or dentist) who is —
(a)a healthcare professional; or
(b)any other personnel of the licensee who is involved in providing care directly to any patient;
“collaborative prescribing practitioner” has the meaning given by regulation 2 of the Healthcare Services (Collaborative Prescribing Service) Regulations 2023 (G.N. No. S 398/2023);
“deep sedation” means a drug‑induced depression of a patient’s consciousness —
(a)during which the patient cannot be easily aroused but will respond purposefully following repeated or painful stimulation;
(b)where the patient’s ability to independently maintain ventilatory function may be impaired;
(c)where the patient may require assistance in maintaining a patent airway and spontaneous ventilation may be inadequate; and
(d)where the patient’s cardiovascular function is usually maintained;
“duly qualified allied health professional” has the meaning given by section 3 of the Allied Health Professions Act 2011;
“enrolled nurse” means a person who is an enrolled nurse within the meaning of the Nurses and Midwives Act 1999 and holds a valid practising certificate under that Act;
“essential life‑saving measure” means any basic emergency procedure that may be carried out on a person for the purpose of resuscitating the person;
“expiry date” has the meaning given by regulation 2 of the General Regulations;
“general anaesthesia” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the Act;
“General Regulations” means the Healthcare Services (General) Regulations 2021 (G.N. No. S 1035/2021);
“healthcare professional” has the meaning given by regulation 2 of the General Regulations;
“licensee” means a person who holds a licence to provide an ambulatory surgical centre service;
“neuraxial anaesthesia” means the anaesthesia that is caused in a patient by the administration of an anaesthetic around the nerves of the central nervous system of the patient;
“nurse” means a registered nurse or an enrolled nurse;
“nursing service” means the provision of nursing care to a patient to assist the patient in attaining, maintaining or recovering his or her health;
“operating theatre” means a room with an aseptic environment that is equipped and designed to support the safe performance of any relevant procedure that requires general anaesthesia;
“patient health record” means a record containing the personal data and medical information of a patient that is maintained by a licensee in relation to the provision of an ambulatory surgical centre service to the patient;
“personnel”, in relation to a licensee, means any individual employed or engaged by the licensee to assist the licensee in providing an ambulatory surgical centre service;
“registered nurse” means a person who is a registered nurse within the meaning of the Nurses and Midwives Act 1999 and holds a valid practising certificate under that Act;
“relevant healthcare provider” means —
(a)a person who is licensed to provide an ambulatory surgical centre service;
(b)a person who is licensed to provide an acute hospital service;
(c)a person who was licensed under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act 1980 to use any premises as a private hospital; or
(d)a person who was, under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act 1980 —
(i)licensed to use any premises as a medical clinic; and
(ii)approved to provide ambulatory surgery at those premises;
“relevant procedure” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the Act;
“scope of practice”, in relation to a licensee, means the type or types of relevant procedures provided by the licensee;
“simple in vitro diagnostic test” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the Act;
“surgical procedure” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the Act;
“testing material” means any test kit, material, device, equipment, instrument or other article that is used to conduct a simple in vitro diagnostic test.
Application of Regulations
3.  Unless otherwise expressly provided in these Regulations, the provisions of these Regulations —
(a)apply in addition to the provisions of the General Regulations; and
(b)prevail if, and to the extent that, there is any inconsistency between these Regulations and the General Regulations insofar as the matter relates to a licensee.
Made on 20 June 2023.
CHAN YENG KIT
Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Health,
Singapore.
[MH 78:44/1; AG/LEGIS/SL/122E/2020/24 Vol. 1]