Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics (Amendment) Regulations 2010

No. S 831

Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act

(Chapter 248)

Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics (Amendment) Regulations 2010

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

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics (Amendment) Regulations 2010 and shall come into operation on 2nd January 2011.

New Part IA

2. The Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Regulations (Rg 1) (referred to in these Regulations as the principal Regulations) are amended by inserting, immediately after regulation 12, the following Part:

“PART IA

QUALITY ASSURANCE COMMITTEES AND QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITIES

Prescribed healthcare institutions and requirements for quality assurance committees

12A.—(1) For the purposes of section 11 of the Act, the licensee of every healthcare institution prescribed in the first column of the Sixth Schedule shall —

(a)

establish the quality assurance committee or committees specified in the second column of the Sixth Schedule corresponding to that healthcare institution or the class of healthcare institutions to which that healthcare institution belongs; and

(b)

ensure that each quality assurance committee of the healthcare institution complies with the requirements set out in this regulation and in the directives specified in the third column of the Sixth Schedule corresponding to that quality assurance committee, as published on the Internet website of the Ministry of Health at http://www.moh.gov.sg and updated from time to time (referred to in this regulation as the directives applicable to that quality assurance committee).

(2) A quality assurance committee of a healthcare institution shall consist of such members of the medical and nursing staff and any other administrative and ancillary staff of the healthcare institution, and such other persons, as may be specified in the directives applicable to that quality assurance committee.

(3) A quality assurance committee of a healthcare institution shall —

(a)

maintain an ongoing quality assurance programme in accordance with the directives applicable to that quality assurance committee for the purpose of —

(i)	monitoring and evaluating the overall quality and appropriateness of the patient care that is provided, and the practices and procedures that are carried out, by the healthcare institution;
(ii)	identifying and solving problems which may from time to time arise in connection with the functions of the healthcare institution; and
(iii)	pursuing opportunities for the improvement of the patient care and other services that are provided by the healthcare institution;

(b)

carry out the duties and comply with the requirements and processes set out in the directives applicable to that quality assurance committee;

(c)

conduct such other quality assurance activity or programme as may be required from time to time by the Director; and

(d)

furnish the Director with such records relating to any quality assurance activity undertaken by the healthcare institution as may be required from time to time by him.

(4) A copy of every directive specified in the Sixth Schedule may be obtained —

(a)	in print from the office of the Ministry of Health, College of Medicine Building, 16 College Road, Singapore 169854 during such hours as the office is open for business; and
(b)	in electronic form from the Internet website of the Ministry of Health at http://www.moh.gov.sg.

Quality assurance activities

12B. The licensee of any healthcare institution which is not a healthcare institution prescribed under regulation 12A shall, whenever required by the Director —

(a)	participate in such quality assurance activities as may be specified by the Director; and
(b)	furnish to the Director such information as the Director may require in relation to the quality assurance activities of the healthcare institution.”.

Deletion of regulation 31

3. Regulation 31 of the principal Regulations is deleted.

Deletion of regulation 46

4. Regulation 46 of the principal Regulations is deleted.

Amendment of regulation 52

5. Regulation 52(1) of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting the words “quality assurance” and substituting the words “quality control”.

Amendment of regulation 59

6. Regulation 59 of the principal Regulations is amended by inserting, immediately after the words “shall not”, the words “, except with the prior approval of the Director,”.

New Sixth Schedule

7. The principal Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after the Fifth Schedule, the following Schedule:

“SIXTH SCHEDULE

Regulation 12A(1) and (4)

Quality Assurance Committees

First column

Second column

Third column

Prescribed healthcare institution

Quality assurance committee(s) required

Applicable directives

1.	Every licensed private hospital (excluding nursing homes)

(a)	At least one Mortality and Morbidity Quality Assurance Committee

(b)	At least one Serious Reportable Event Quality Assurance Committee

(a)	Directives for Review of Mortality and Morbidity

(b)	Directives for Review of Serious Reportable Events

2.	Every licensed nursing home

At least one quality assurance committee

Directives for Quality Assurance Committees (Nursing Homes)

3.	Every licensed medical clinic providing special care services listed under the Third Schedule

(a)	At least one Mortality and Morbidity Quality Assurance Committee

(b)	At least one Serious Reportable Event Quality Assurance Committee

(a)	Directives for Review of Mortality and Morbidity

(b)	Directives for Review of Serious Reportable Events

4.	The following medical clinics:

(a)	National Healthcare Group Polyclinic (Ang Mo Kio)

(b)	National Healthcare Group Polyclinic (Bukit Batok)

(c)	National Healthcare Group Polyclinic (Choa Chu Kang)

(d)	National Healthcare Group Polyclinic (Clementi)

(e)	National Healthcare Group Polyclinic (Hougang)

(f)	National Healthcare Group Polyclinic (Jurong)

(g)	National Healthcare Group Polyclinic (Toa Payoh)

(h)	National Healthcare Group Polyclinic (Woodlands)

(i)	National Healthcare Group Polyclinic (Yishun)

(j)	National Skin Centre

(k)	Singhealth Polyclinic — Bedok

(l)	Singhealth Polyclinic — Bukit Merah

(m)	Singhealth Polyclinic — Geylang

(n)	Singhealth Polyclinic — Marine Parade

(o)	Singhealth Polyclinic — Pasir Ris

(p)	Singhealth Polyclinic — Queenstown

(q)	Singhealth Polyclinic — Sengkang

(r)	Singhealth Polyclinic —Tampines

(s)	Student Health Centre

(a)	At least one Mortality and Morbidity Quality Assurance Committee for each medical clinic

(b)	At least one Serious Reportable Event Quality Assurance Committee for each medical clinic

(a)	Directives for Review of Mortality and Morbidity

(b)	Directives for Review of Serious Reportable Events.

[G.N. Nos. S 223/2003; S 237/2003; S 411/2003; S 308/2008”.]

Made this 29th day of December 2010.

TAN CHING YEE

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Health,
Singapore.

[MH 78:04/4-2; AG/LLRD/SL/248/2010/2 Vol. 1]

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