Current Occupancy Rates at Hospices and Adequacy of Hospice Capacity Given Ageing Population

37 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the current occupancy rate of our hospices; (b) whether there are sufficient beds to meet the demand of our rapidly ageing population; and (c) how is the training, recruitment and retention of care professionals in our hospices.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: There are currently a total of 255 inpatient beds for palliative care, of which 155 are in hospices and the remaining 100 in community hospitals. The occupancy rate has been close to 70% over the past year. We will continue to ensure sufficient inpatient and home palliative care capacity to meet the future needs of our population. We should also raise awareness that palliative care can be done at home.

MOH and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) work with our partners to attract and retain their workforce by enhancing the attractiveness of the sector and ensuring that remuneration is competitive. The hospices can also tap on various support measures, including training and productivity enhancement development grants, to build capabilities.