Implications on Responsibilities and Standing of Physicians with Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine Qualification

Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health in respect of the recognition of Family Medicine as a specialty (a) whether accredited family physicians will face increased responsibilities, including managing non-emergencies and outpatient visits usually managed by hospitals; (b) whether their participation in corporate panels will be impacted; and (c) what are the implications for the standing of physicians holding a Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine.

Family physicians receive training which allows them to provide better care for patients with multiple chronic medical conditions. This is important given the demographic changes in our population and the increasing prevalence of seniors with multiple medical conditions.

Doctors enrol in either the Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (GDFM) or the Master of Medicine (Family Medicine) (MMed(FM)) programmes to attain these higher clinical competencies. In 2025, Family Medicine was recognised as a specialty, which recognises a group of senior and experienced family physicians who have completed advanced family medicine training beyond the MMed(FM). These Family Medicine specialists are able to provide care in the community for patients with more complex chronic medical conditions, which would otherwise have been managed by specialists in hospitals. Family Medicine specialists are also able to lead multidisciplinary primary care teams, providing integrated care for their patients with multiple underlying medical conditions, coordinating multidisciplinary care in the community and reducing referrals to hospitals. They will continue to work in partnership with other specialists in the hospitals and refer cases for further management when necessary.

Participation in corporate panels are commercial arrangements. All doctors are required to practice within their accredited scope and clinical competencies regardless of any commercial arrangements they enter into.

Family physicians with a GDFM are strongly encouraged to pursue further postgraduate training, so as to provide better care for their patients with chronic medical conditions. They may enrol in the MMed(FM) programme, which qualifies family physicians for onward entry to the advanced family medicine training programme, administered by the College of Family Physicians Singapore and which qualifies them to register as Family Medicine Specialists.