Process for Granting Clinical Privileges to Medical Professionals
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Ms Irene Quay Siew Ching’s inquiry regarding the clinical privileging process for medical professionals performing high-risk procedures and the Ministry of Health’s oversight in verifying credentials. Senior Minister of State Dr Lam Pin Min explained that specialists must complete rigorous training overseen by the Specialist Accreditation Board, while overseas-trained doctors undergo equivalent competency reviews. He highlighted that doctors performing high-risk services like transplants require specific Ministry of Health authorization and hospitals must implement internal clinical privileging systems and quality assurance committees. Licensed hospitals are also required to ensure doctors remain updated and practice within their approved scope to maintain safety and quality standards. To ensure compliance with these regulatory requirements, the Ministry of Health conducts periodic inspections of hospital licensees.
Transcript
15 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.
The Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Lam Pin Min) (for the Minister for Health): 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.