Healthcare Services (Outpatient Medical Service) Regulations 2023

No. S 410

Healthcare Services Act 2020

Healthcare Services
(Outpatient Medical 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 (Outpatient Medical Service) Regulations 2023 and come into operation on 26 June 2023.

Definitions

2.—(1) In these Regulations —

“allied health professional” has the meaning given by section 2 of the Allied Health Professions Act 2011;

“blood transfusion service” means —

(a)

the collection of whole blood, or any blood component or product that is derived from plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets from an individual for the purpose of administering it to that individual (as a patient) or another patient;

(b)

the administration to a patient, by bolus injection or continuous infusion, of either or both of the following, whether obtained from the patient or one or more other individuals:

(i)	whole blood;
(ii)	any blood component or product that is derived from plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets; and

(c)

the temporary storage of any whole blood or blood component or product that is derived from plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets for the purpose mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b);

“collaborative prescribing practitioner” and “collaborative prescribing service” have the meanings given by regulation 2 of the Healthcare Services (Collaborative Prescribing Service) Regulations 2023 (G.N. No. S 398/2023);

“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 Regulations” means the Healthcare Services (General) Regulations 2021 (G.N. No. S 1035/2021);

“haematology service” means the diagnosis or treatment by a medical practitioner who is registered under section 22 of the Medical Registration Act 1997 as a specialist in haematology, of a patient who has a disorder of the blood or bone marrow;

“healthcare professional” has the meaning given by regulation 2 of the General Regulations;

“health product” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Health Products Act 2007;

“licensee” means a person who holds a licence to provide an outpatient medical service;

“medicinal product” has the meaning given by section 3 of the Medicines Act 1975;

“MediShield Life Scheme” means the MediShield Life Scheme established by section 3 of the MediShield Life Scheme Act 2015;

“minor surgical procedure” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the Act;

“nurse” means a registered nurse or an enrolled nurse;

“oncology service” means the diagnosis and treatment by a medical practitioner who is registered under section 22 of the Medical Registration Act 1997 as a specialist in oncology, of a person who has cancer;

“outpatient medical service” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the Act;

“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 outpatient medical 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 outpatient medical service;

“pharmacist” means a person who is registered under the Pharmacists Registration Act 2007 and holds a valid practising certificate under that Act;

“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;

“remote service kiosk”, in relation to the provision of an outpatient medical service by a licensee by remote provision, means an equipment or facility that —

(a)	is provided by the licensee for any patient to receive the outpatient medical service by remote provision; and
(b)	may include a booth or a vending machine or any similar equipment which dispenses any medicinal product or health product that is prescribed for the patient, or both;

“simple in vitro diagnostic test” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the Act;

“software application” means a software application that operates on any computer or mobile device such as a smartphone;

“specimen” has the meaning given by regulation 2 of the General Regulations;

“temporary premises” means any premises other than permanent premises;

“testing material” means any test kit, material, device, equipment, instrument or other article that is used to conduct a simple in vitro diagnostic test.

(2) For the purposes of these Regulations, a licensee is not to be treated as providing any outpatient medical service by remote provision to a patient, merely because —

(a)	the licensee provides any information and communication technology to the patient to enable the transmission of data related to the patient’s health status between the patient and the licensee and the monitoring of the patient’s health by the licensee; or
(b)	the licensee communicates with the patient remotely for administrative matters, including (but not limited to) the arrangement of the date of the patient’s next medical appointment.

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/2020/22 Vol. 1]

Search within Legislation