PROJECTED EXPENDITURE FOR NEW NEXT GENERATION ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD SYSTEM AND IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE COSTS

NOTICE PAPER NO. 3303

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 8 JANUARY 2025

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song

MP for Aljunied GRC

Question No. 7036

To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the total projected expenditure for implementing the Next Generation Electronic Medical Record (NGEMR) system to provide a single patient record across all public healthcare clusters; (b) how does the Ministry assess its impact on overall public healthcare costs; and (c) what measures are implemented to ensure that the NGEMR system (i) delivers value for money and (ii) does not increase overall healthcare costs for patients.

Written Answer

The phased rollout of the Next Generation Electronic Medical Record (NGEMR) at National University Health System and National Healthcare Group (NHG) was completed in July 2024, while that for SingHealth will take place from late 2026 to 2028. In total, the Government would have invested $1.5B over 10 years to develop and implement NGEMR for the whole public healthcare sector.

NGEMR is a strategic investment with very significant benefits. More than 100 legacy Information Technology (IT) systems, and the associated costs, will be phased out. For patients who receive care at different public healthcare institutions, detailed medical records and doctors’ notes on their care will be readily accessible by their doctors in the different institutions which will improve the coordination of care for the patient. This benefit is now already realised for patients that seek care from both the NUHS and NHG clusters. NGEMR will also enable public healthcare institutions to utilise various analytical and operational IT tools in the system, that is available currently and in future, to enhance workflow, raise efficiency, and improve health outcomes.