ALLEGED BREACHES OF ADVERTISING CONTROLS IN HEALTHCARE SERVICES ACT

NOTICE PAPER NO. 3610

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 08 APRIL 2025

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms He Ting Ru

MP for Sengkang GRC

Question No. 6731

To ask the Minister for Health since the implementation of the relevant provisions of the Healthcare Services Act (a) how many reports of alleged breaches of the advertising controls under the Act have been received by the Ministry; (b) of these, how many have been referred to the relevant authorities for further action including prosecution; and (c) what percentage of these are for practitioners in the mental health space.

Answer

1 Advertising controls under the Healthcare Services Act 2020 (HCSA) came into force on 26 June 2023 for non-HCSA licensed healthcare service providers and non-registered healthcare professionals. The advertising controls imposes restrictions on them from advertising treatment of diseases or medical conditions.

2 The restrictions include the use of the title “Doctor” by non-registered healthcare professionals in healthcare advertisements. This requirement is not new and were largely ported over from Section 4 of the Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1955.

3 MOH has received and investigated 34 complaints of alleged breaches of the advertising controls, and none were against practitioners in the mental health space.