Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act
(CHAPTER 248, Section 17)
Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Regulations
Rg 1
G.N. No. S 572/1991

REVISED EDITION 1998
(15th September 1998)
[1st January 1993]
PART I
general
Citation
1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Regulations.
Definitions
2.  In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —
“licence” means the licence referred to in section 2 of the Act;
“licensee” means the holder of a licence;
“registered nurse” means a person registered as a nurse under the Nurses and Midwives Regulations (Cap. 209, Rg 1);
“registered midwife” means a person registered as a midwife under the Nurses and Midwives Regulations.
Application for licence
3.  Every application for the issue or renewal of a licence shall be made to the Director and shall be in the form specified in the First Schedule.
General duty of licensee
4.  Every licensee of a private hospital, medical clinic or clinical laboratory shall comply with such directions or guidelines as may be given or issued by the Director from time to time in respect of any matter relating to the management, operation, maintenance or use of any private hospital, medical clinic or clinical laboratory.
Licence fees
5.—(1)  The fee payable for any licence or any renewal thereof shall be as specified in the Fourth Schedule.
[S 8/2000 wef 07/01/2000]
(2)  Where a licence is lost, damaged or destroyed, the licensee may apply to the Director for a duplicate licence and the Director may issue a duplicate licence upon payment of a fee of $100.
(3)  Where a licence is revoked or suspended, the Director may, in his discretion, refund up to one-quarter of any fee paid under this regulation in respect of the licence.
Renewal of licence
6.—(1)  Any application for the renewal of a licence shall be made to the Director not later than 2 months before the date of the expiry of the licence.
(2)  Where an application for the renewal of a licence is made after the date mentioned in paragraph (1), the applicant shall pay a late payment fee which shall be 20% of the fee payable for the renewal of the licence or $100, whichever is the greater.
Display of licence
7.  Every person to whom a licence is issued shall display the current licence issued in a conspicuous place at the private hospital, medical clinic or clinical laboratory, as the case may be.
Advertisement of services
8.  All advertisements of the services of every private hospital, medical clinic or clinical laboratory shall be in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Director.
Notification of cessation, etc., of private hospital, medical clinic or clinical laboratory
9.—(1)  Where a licensee intends to cease operating, or intends to let, sell or in any way dispose of a private hospital, medical clinic or clinical laboratory, he shall notify the Director of his intention in writing not less than 30 days before the cessation of operation, letting, sale or disposal of the hospital, clinic or laboratory, as the case may be.
(2)  Any licence issued to the licensee shall upon the cessation of operation, letting, sale or disposal of the private hospital, medical clinic or clinical laboratory be deemed to be revoked.
(3)  Every licensee of a private hospital shall comply with such directions as the Director may give with regard to the accommodation and care of the patients in the hospital before the cessation of operation, letting, sale or disposal of the private hospital.
(4)  Every licensee of a clinical laboratory shall comply with any directions as the Director may give with regard to the completion of testing of specimens already received, acceptance of new specimens and other ancillary matters before the cessation of operation, letting, sale or disposal of the clinical laboratory.
Persons who may manage private hospital, etc.
10.—(1)  The person who shall manage a maternity home, nursing home, medical clinic or clinical laboratory shall be as follows:
(a)in the case of a maternity home, a medical practitioner, a registered nurse or a registered midwife;
(b)in the case of a nursing home, a medical practitioner or a registered nurse;
(c)in the case of a medical clinic used by a medical practitioner, a medical practitioner;
(d)in the case of a medical clinic used by a dentist, a dentist; and
(e)in the case of a clinical laboratory, a person who has any of the qualifications specified in regulation 44 or 45.
(2)  The person who shall manage a private hospital, other than a maternity home or a nursing home, shall be the manager or a person responsible for the administration or management of the hospital.
(3)  A person who is responsible for the management of a private hospital, maternity home, nursing home, medical clinic or clinical laboratory shall not be absent therefrom for any length of time, unless arrangements are made for the private hospital, maternity home, nursing home, medical clinic or clinical laboratory to be placed under the supervision of a person who is similarly qualified to manage that hospital, home, clinic or laboratory.
Duty of manager of private hospital
11.  Every manager of a private hospital, other than a maternity home or a nursing home, shall ensure that every patient be informed, on or before his admission to the private hospital, of the estimated total charges which are likely to be incurred in respect of his hospitalisation and treatment.
Records
12.—(1)  Every licensee of a private hospital or medical clinic shall keep and maintain proper medical records and shall in addition cause to be recorded therein in respect of each patient such particulars as may be specified in any guidelines issued by the Director from time to time.
(2)  Every licensee of a clinical laboratory shall keep and maintain laboratory records of all specimens received and examinations conducted by him and the results thereof.
(3)  The records referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be retained by the licensee of the private hospital, medical clinic or clinical laboratory for such periods as may be required by the Director.
[G.N. Nos. S 572/91; S 200/96; S 331/97; S 119/98]