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No. S 849

Healthcare Services Act 2020

Healthcare Services
(Nursing Home 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 (Nursing Home Service) Regulations 2023 and come into operation on 18 December 2023.

Definitions

2. In these Regulations —

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

“approved standards of nursing practice” means the standards established by the Singapore Nursing Board for the practice of nursing in Singapore;

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

“compound”, in relation to a therapeutic product, means to formulate, mix, assemble, package or label the therapeutic product, with the intention of dispensing or administering the therapeutic product to a patient in accordance with the written instructions of a qualified practitioner;

“dietetic service” means any of the following services that is provided to a patient for the purpose of optimising the patient’s health and nutrition:

(a)	assessing and determining the patient’s nutritional needs;
(b)	formulating and implementing a dietetic plan for the patient;
(c)	monitoring the patient’s response to the dietetic plan and determining whether a change to the dietetic plan is necessary;

“duly qualified allied health professional” has the meaning given by section 3 of the Allied Health Professions Act 2011;

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

“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;

“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);

“head of nursing” means the individual appointed under regulation 8(1);

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

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

“hospice patient” means a patient who receives a hospice service;

“hospice service” means the provision of care, treatment or procedure to a patient who —

(a)	suffers from an advanced and progressive disease which will result in the continued decline in the patient’s health and eventual death of the patient; and
(b)	has a medical condition that requires specialist palliative care and nursing oversight,

for palliating any pain, suffering or discomfort of the patient;

“IPC programme” has the meaning given by regulation 37(1)(a);

“licensee” means a person who holds a licence to provide a nursing home service;

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

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

“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;

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

“nursing personnel” means a nurse or any other person who assists a nurse in providing nursing care to patients;

“nursing service” means the provision of nursing care to a patient to assist the patient in attaining, maintaining or recovering his or her health;

“nursing supervisory function” means the function of supervising the provision of a nursing care by a person, and includes directing, managing and supervising the provision of nursing care;

“nutrition service” means the provision of food to any patient at any approved permanent premises;

“palliative medicine specialist” means a medical practitioner who is registered under section 22 of the Medical Registration Act 1997 as a specialist in palliative medicine;

“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 a nursing home 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 a nursing home service;

“pharmaceutical service” means —

(a)	the procurement, storage and control, dispensing, distribution, supply and administration of medicinal products and health products stored at any approved permanent premises;
(b)	the preparation of medicinal products or health products, other than the compounding of therapeutic products, at any approved permanent premises; and
(c)	the counselling and monitoring of patient drug therapy;

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

“psychosocial support” means the provision of emotional, social and practical support to a patient for the purpose of alleviating anxiety and depression to enhance the patient’s mental health;

“qualified practitioner” means —

(a)	a medical practitioner; or
(b)	a registered dentist under the Dental Registration Act 1999 whose name appears in the first division of the Register of Dentists maintained and kept under section 13(1)(a) of 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;

“rehabilitative service” —

(a)	means assisting or facilitating a patient in slowing down the disabling effects of the patient’s health condition and functional abilities; and
(b)	includes physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy;

“Singapore Nursing Board” means the Singapore Nursing Board established under section 3 of the Nurses and Midwives Act 1999;

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

“therapeutic product” means a health product categorised as a therapeutic product in the First Schedule to the Health Products Act 2007.

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 13 December 2023.

CHAN YENG KIT

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Health,
Singapore.

[MOH 78:44/1; AG/LEGIS/SL/122E/2020/44 Vol. 1]