Suitability of Key Appointment Holders after Revocation of Nursing Homes' Licences and Maintenance of Registry of Lapses

55 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health regarding the recent revocation of two nursing homes' licences (a) what assessments are conducted to determine whether key appointment holders involved may continue in similar roles at other healthcare service providers; and (b) whether the Ministry maintains a publicly accessible register of regulatory actions taken against nursing home licensees, including warnings, suspensions or revocations.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: Under the Healthcare Services Act 2020 (HCSA), licensees are responsible for ensuring that their key personnel are fit and suitable for their respective roles. The Ministry of Health (MOH) assesses whether these individuals meet the statutory requirements, taking into account the responsibilities of the roles they perform.

When a licence is revoked, MOH conducts a thorough review of the role and conduct of the key personnel involved. Where an individual is found to have been responsible for or materially contributed to the lapses that led to the revocation, MOH will assess if he or she remains fit and suitable to hold similar appointments at existing or future HCSA licencees. This assessment will be undertaken for the key personnel involved in Windsor Convalescent Home and LC Nursing Home.

MOH's regulatory approach is first and foremost to safeguard patient safety and quality of care. Where shortcomings are identified, we work with licensees to rectify the deficiencies and ensure that improvements are sustained. However, where serious lapses persist or patient safety is compromised, MOH will not hesitate to take regulatory action, including licence revocation where warranted.

MOH does not maintain a publicly accessible register of regulatory actions taken against HCSA licensees. This is because regulatory actions vary considerably in nature, severity and duration. Viewed in isolation, they may not accurately reflect the current quality and safety of a provider’s services, particularly where deficiencies have been rectified.

Our priority is to ensure that the public receives information that is accurate, meaningful and supports informed decisions about care. We will study this suggestion carefully and consider how best to provide useful information on the quality of care across HCSA licensees, where ensuring that the information is presented in an appropriate and balanced manner.