MH 78:04/4-15
1. These licensing terms and conditions (LTCs) will apply to all licensees under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act (PHMCA), and will refer to two separate groups of licensees, being:
(a) Hospital Licensees, which refer to private hospitals (other than a convalescent hospital, nursing or maternity home) and to any other institution the Director specifies; and
(b) Non-Hospital Licensees, which refer to all other licensees under the PHMCA which are not Hospital Licensees.
2. Under these LTCs:
(a) Every hospital ethics committee (HEC) established by Hospital Licensees under the licensing terms and conditions on Hospital Ethics Committee dated 7 December 2012 (HEC LTCs) shall be referred to as “clinical ethics committee” (CEC). Hospital Licensees are each required to set up a CEC, and have cases involving any of the prescribed medical treatments reviewed by its own CEC.
(b) Non-Hospital Licensees are allowed, but are not required, to establish a CEC. Non-Hospital Licensees are also required to refer cases involving any of the prescribed medical treatments to a CEC for ethics review.
3. These LTCs also set out the list of prescribed medical treatments to be reviewed by the CEC, as well as the obligations of all licensees in respect of these cases.
All licensees are not to proceed with the prescribed medical treatment unless the CEC that has conducted an ethics review of the case is satisfied that the prescribed medical treatment is ethically appropriate.4. These LTCs, entitled “Licensing Terms and Conditions on Case Reviews by Clinical Ethics Committees”, are enclosed with this circular and shall take effect on
1 April 2021. Upon these LTCs coming into effect, the HEC LTCs (which only apply to Hospital Licensees) will no longer be applicable
5. All licensees are to comply with these LTCs before transiting to the Healthcare Services Act (HCSA), which will be implemented in various phases from Q3 2021. These LTCs will align the obligations of all licensees with those under the HCSA. Under the HCSA, a licensee intending to provide medical treatment of a prescribed category or description involving complex ethical dilemmas must refer the case to a CEC (to be established pursuant to the HCSA) for an ethics review. The licensee cannot proceed with the prescribed medical treatment unless each CEC that has conducted an ethics review of the case is satisfied that the prescribed medical treatment is ethically appropriate.
6. Please contact MOH by email at eLIS@moh.gov.sg if you require any further information or clarification.
A/PROF KENNETH MAK
DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL SERVICES
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
The full document can be downloaded below:
Download [.PDF, 206KB]The FAQ on Clinical Ethics Committee (CEC) can be downloaded below:
Download [.PDF, 103KB]