Process for Granting Clinical Privileges to Medical Professionals

Ms Irene Quay Siew Ching asked the Minister for Health (a) how are clinical privileges for medical professionals granted based on their education/training to ensure clinical competence for high-risk, specialised procedures in private practice settings; and (b) what is the oversight process undertaken by the Ministry for the verification of these credentials.

Mr Speaker, to be accredited as specialists who can perform higher risk and specialised procedures, doctors trained in Singapore must complete local post-graduate specialty training that includes workplace-based and clinical knowledge-based assessments. The training and assessments are overseen by the Specialist Accreditation Board (SAB) and are designed to ensure that the doctors acquire the required levels of clinical competencies in these specialised procedures.

Overseas-trained doctors can apply for medical registration and specialist accreditation in Singapore. They have to submit their educational qualifications, training and employment history for review by the Singapore Medical Council and SAB. The SAB will then ascertain if the doctors have the requisite clinical competence to perform the range of procedures deemed equivalent to those performed by locally-trained specialists.

MOH also imposes additional requirements for specific specialised procedures or services with higher risk. Examples include transplants, assisted reproduction and renal dialysis services. Doctors who wish to provide these specific specialised procedures or services are required to have the appropriate qualifications and have to apply to MOH for authorisation before performing these procedures or services.

In addition, licensed hospitals are also required to put in place a clinical privileging system that grants their doctors the appropriate scope of practice commensurate with their areas of competence. The hospitals must ensure that each doctor, granted the appropriate clinical privileges, practises within the approved scope and remains up to date with practice. Hospitals also establish quality assurance committees to monitor and evaluate the safety and quality of the practices, procedures and services. MOH inspects hospital licensees periodically to assess that these regulatory requirements are met.