MOH'S Review Of Allied Healthcare Professionals

16 Apr 2002

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is reviewing the job scope, career structure and professional development of allied healthcare (AHC) professionals. As part of the plan, the Ministry is introducing a new Allied Healthcare Scholarship that will enable good 'A' level students to obtain a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from the University of Sydney (UOS), Australia.

Background

Allied healthcare (AHC) professionals are key members of the healthcare teams in our hospitals, clinics and step-down care facilities (like nursing homes). Their contributions are critical because of their involvement in the detection and management of major diseases as well as chronic conditions common to a rapidly ageing population such as Singapore?s.

There are currently about 3,000 AHC posts in the public sector, which includes such categories of staff as diagnostic radiographers, dietitians, medical social workers, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech therapists, psychologists and radiation therapists.

Review of AHC professions

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is reviewing the job scope, career structure and professional development of these AHC professionals in the same manner as we have done recently for the nursing profession. Special workgroups and committees have been set up to study the following issues and make recommendations to MOH in relation to the various AHC groups:

a. Roles, job scope and accountabilities of various types of AHC professionals in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of our patients

b. Requirements for various types of AHC professionals in the different care settings (inpatient; outpatient; community)

c. Training requirements and accreditation standards for various types of AHC professionals

d. Current and projected AHC manpower requirements for the public, private and community sectors

e. Roles and training requirements for various technicians, aides and assistants who support the work of the AHC professionals

f. Establishment of attractive and challenging career paths within the public healthcare sector

These reviews have already commenced and their reports will be ready later this year. However, based on our strategic plans, MOH expects that these reviews will confirm the need for greater numbers as well as for more highly trained AHC professionals.

For example, MOH is in the process of strengthening the rehabilitation and step-down care delivery system to better cater for the needs of the chronically ill, the disabled and the elderly. This will involve the development of specialist rehabilitative services and centres within the two clusters, as well as the support and funding of step-down facilities and home medical/nursing/therapy services. The establishment and operation of these facilities and services will create an increased demand for AHC professionals.

MOH intends to begin identifying and training the AHC professionals who will be staffing and operating these facilities and services, because of the long lead-time needed for their professional training. In this way, no time need be lost in waiting for staff to be trained once these systems are ready to be launched. Since MOH also plans for AHC professionals at the national level, we will ensure that the numbers being trained will be sufficient not only to meet the public sector's needs but also those of the VWO/community and the private sectors as well.

Desire for professional upgrading

MOH also recognises that there is a strong desire within many AHC professionals to upgrade their qualifications. This is particularly true of AHC professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, diagnostic radiographers and radiation therapists who are locally trained up to the diploma level.

At present, many of these AHC professionals take up a degree conversion course after completing their diploma studies in order to upgrade themselves. In the case of physiotherapists, it is estimated that about 70% of those with NYP diplomas have already converted to degrees or are in the process of doing so. AHC professionals usually pursue these conversion courses after they begin working, often at their own time and expense, by either going overseas or through some local programme linked to an overseas institution.

Just as in the recent review of the nursing profession, MOH believes that there is a need for a diversity of AHC professionals with a range of training backgrounds and professional experiences. AHC students in NYP who are currently completing their diploma courses are assured that the healthcare sector will continue to offer them bright employment prospects, as well as opportunities for future upgrading.

Assistance through a new scholarship programme

MOH recognises and supports this process of professional upgrading and aims to facilitate it by introducing a new scholarship that will allow selected A Level students to pursue a degree immediately after completing their diploma studies. By targeting this scholarship at students with good A Level results, MOH hopes to attract more bright young people into careers in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, diagnostic radiography and radiation therapy. Over time, this will enable our AHC professionals to cope more effectively with the challenges of the future, including:

a. Advances in medical science and technology leading to increasingly complex and sophisticated medical equipment and therapy techniques.

b. Greater clinical roles and responsibilities as part of an integrated holistic healthcare team.

c. Better-educated patients with higher expectations and demands

d. Supporting the growth of bio-medical research and Singapore's development as a medical hub.

This new scholarship will complement the opportunities that already exist for diploma-trained AHC professionals to pursue degree conversion courses (e.g. through bursaries and study awards provided by the hospitals).

Terms of scholarship

The scholarship will be administered by the two healthcare clusters - National Healthcare Group (NHG) and Singapore Health Services (SingHealth). It is open to students with good A Level results who wish to take up the following professions:

- Physiotherapy (PT)

- Occupational Therapy (OT)

- Diagnostic Radiography (RG)

- Radiation Therapy (RT)

The 2 clusters target to award 12 scholarships for each AHC group (i.e. 12 each for PT, OT, and RG/RT combined).

The first three years of the scholarship will be tenable at the Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) and the final year at the University of Sydney (UOS). The scholarship package will include course fees, return airfare and student allowances. Successful applicants for the scholarship will be required to meet minimum admission criteria and maintain a minimum grade average throughout the course.

Scholars will be awarded the Diploma in the appropriate discipline from NYP upon completion of their third year. They will receive the Bachelor of Applied Science from UOS upon completion of the final year.

The full scholarship package carries a bond of 4 years. Applicants who choose a partial scholarship package that only provides funding for the final year at UOS will be bonded for 2 years. Upon graduation from UOS, the scholars will be employed by the cluster that awarded them the scholarship and serve out their bond by contributing to patient care, professional training and clinical research. Good performers will have opportunities to pursue Masters degrees and can look forward to career advancement along professional or managerial tracks.

Candidates who meet the academic criteria for entry to UOS but who do not wish to be bonded at all can opt for an alternative scheme where they will receive a study loan which they can repay to the cluster through various instalment plans.

Since it will take four years before the first batch of AHC professionals graduates under this programme, MOH would like to proceed immediately to invite all students who received their A Level results this year and have a keen interest in health sciences to apply for this scholarship.

Application information

The scholarship application forms can be obtained from the two healthcare clusters. Candidates applying for admission to AHC courses may also obtain the scholarship forms from Nanyang Polytechnic. The closing date for application is 3 May 2002. Applicants can visit the clusters' websites at www.nhg.com.sg and www.singhealth.com.sg, or contact the following for more information:

National Healthcare Group (NHG)

Ms Eileen Liu

Tel: 63578609

E-mail: Eileen_Liu@ttsh.com.sg

Ms Jwen Tay

Tel: 63578613

E-mail: Jwen_Tay@ttsh.com.sg

Singapore Health Services (Singhealth)

Ms Yvonne Cheang

Tel: 65574963

E-mail: yvonne.cheang@singhealth.com.sg

Mr Peter Seah

Tel: 65574932

E-mail: peter.seah@singhealth.com.sg

Interested students are invited to a Public Forum on AHC Professions and the new scholarship that will jointly organised by the Ministry of Health and the two clusters on 24 April 2002, 10:00 am at the College of Medicine Building Auditorium.

Future developments

MOH will be addressing the training needs of speech therapists next and is looking into the possibility of providing scholarships and opportunities for mature students to pursue such training overseas.