Community hospital subsidies to be enhanced from Oct
From October 2024, subsidies at community hospitals will be enhanced to align with those of acute hospitals, and allowed to be used for advanced diagnostics, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
This will minimise delays in the transfer to step-down care, he added.
He was speaking on Sept 24 at the National Medical Excellence Awards ceremony, where outstanding clinicians, clinician scientists and other healthcare professionals were recognised.
In the debate on the Ministry of Health’s budget in March, Mr Ong had said the community hospital subsidy framework would be aligned with the acute hospital subsidy framework so that patients receive the same subsidy rate of 50 per cent to 80 per cent throughout their inpatient stay.
He had also said that more diagnostic services, such as CT and MRI scans, and relevant drugs would be subsidised at community hospitals.
In his speech at the awards dinner, Mr Ong said that driven by the ageing population with changing healthcare needs, “care is increasingly anchored in communities, health is being built up outside of hospitals, and new care models involving partnership between hospitals and community partners are emerging”.
To recognise these changes, the Ministry of Health introduced the new National Community Care Excellence Team Award at this year’s event. The award recognises teams that have contributed significantly to improving community health and raised awareness of preventive health in the community care setting.
The first recipient in this category is the SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH) team leading the Social Prescribing Programme, in partnership with the Agency for Integrated Care, SkillsFuture Singapore and several active ageing centres.
The team integrates social prescriptions with clinical care as a novel approach to improving health outcomes for seniors. The seniors are prescribed social support programmes or activities to supplement medical treatments.
The team’s work aligns with the objectives of Age Well SG, a national programme to help seniors age well at home and in the community.
Associate Professor Lee Kheng Hock, SCH’s deputy chief executive officer overseeing education and community partnerships, told The Straits Times that social prescribing addresses a senior’s social needs, such as loneliness, housing and other social issues, “which can significantly affect patient well-being and recovery”.
“Our well-being coordinators link suitable patients with non-medical resources, such as exercise classes, social activities, interest groups and support groups, in their community to help them remain safe and connected when they (are discharged). By integrating medical care with social support, social prescribing helps to prevent health issues from escalating or reoccurring, thus improving overall patient outcomes,” he said.
Recipients of the 2024 National Medical Excellence Awards
National Outstanding Clinician Award:
Professor Tan Ban Hock
National Outstanding Clinician Scientist Award:
Professor Jerry Chan Kok Yen
Professor Jodhbir Singh Mehta
National Outstanding Clinician Mentor Award:
Professor Tan Suat Hoon
National Outstanding Clinician Educator Award:
Associate Professor Gerald Chua Seng Wee
Professor Lau Tang Ching
National Clinical Excellence Team Award:
Neighbours for Active Living Programme
Ms Shirlyn Su Chang
Ms Cheryl Lau May Ling
Dr Low Shou Lin
Mr Roy Chew Pei Wei
National Community Care Excellence Team Award:
Social Prescribing Programme
Associate Professor Lee Kheng Hock
Ms Adeline Kwan Li Feng
Ms Clara Poh Chui Yin
Ms Eunice Chin Khoon Eng
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