Our Family Doctors, Our Health Partners

In commemoration of the World Family Doctor Day which falls on 19 May every year, the Ministry of Health (MOH) would like to express our appreciation to our family doctors for being the first and continuous line of care in looking after the health and well-being of Singaporeans. This day was declared by the World Organisation of Family Doctors to celebrate and recognise the special contribution of family doctors in healthcare systems around the world.

2. Family doctors play a key role in our healthcare system as reflected in our vision of “One Singaporean, One Family Doctor”. Our family doctors provide quality care that is affordable and accessible to Singaporeans. They are the trusted health partner of their patients, caring for them over their life journey, as they age and their healthcare needs increase. They advise their patients on their risk factors and lifestyle changes needed so that they can continue to be in good health, and offer vaccinations and screening when needed. They take a holistic, patient-centric approach in managing their patients’ medical conditions such as diabetes. When necessary, they also help their patients navigate the healthcare system by providing appropriate referrals and coordinating care within the community. Their care and advice is effective because of the continuous, long-term relationship that they are able to build with their patients, which enables them to better understand their patients’ needs and results in better health for their patients.

3. As our population ages and the need for primary care increases, the role of family doctors will continue to expand. More family doctors will be encouraged and supported to undergo postgraduate training in Family Medicine (FM) to equip them to manage more complex cases in the community, in particular in chronic disease management and geriatric care. Currently, about 60% of our doctors in primary care have postgraduate training in Family Medicine and are accredited as Family Physicians (FPs). With the introduction of FM training subsidies by MOH in 2015, we would like to encourage more doctors to pursue FM training for continued professional growth.

4. This year’s World Family Doctor Day emphasizes the role of family doctors in supporting smoking cessation. Smoking increases one’s risk of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although the smoking prevalence rate in Singapore has declined from 18.3% in 1992 to 13.3% in 2013, there is a higher smoking prevalence among younger men, and a rising trend of younger women picking up the habit. We need to continue with our efforts to protect our young from picking up the habit, and help smokers to quit.

5. Our family doctors are well placed to help Singaporeans quit smoking and support smoking cessation efforts in the community. With a strong doctor-patient relationship, family doctors are able to assess how best to encourage their patients to quit smoking, and customise their advice more effectively. With a deeper understanding of their patients’ motivation to smoke, and familiarity with their patients’ families, they would also be able to work with their patients’ loved ones to support them in kicking the habit successfully.

6. We would like to encourage Singaporeans to partner your family doctors to achieve Better Health, Better Care and Better Life. We also want to wish all our family doctors Happy World Family Doctor Day!

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

19 MAY 2016