REGULATIONS FOR NURSING HOME

NOTICE PAPER NO. 971

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 7 JULY 2026

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Fadli Fawzi

MP for Aljunied GRC

Question No. 2430

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether there are any plans to strengthen the regulatory regime for nursing homes to ensure that systemic lapses similar to those identified at the Windsor Convalescent Home do not recur at any other nursing home; and (b) if not, why not.

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1000

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON OR AFTER 8 JULY 2026

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Lee Hong Chuang

MP for Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC

Question No. 2518

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) in cases when the Ministry's regulatory investigations confirm lapses causing patient harm and regulatory action is taken, what mechanisms ensure affected patients are guided to appropriate avenues for compensation or redress; and (b) whether the Ministry will adopt a more integrated workflow in such cases, to reduce the need for patients to initiate separate processes after investigations conclude.

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1004

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON OR AFTER 8 JULY 2026

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms Mariam Jaafar, MP for Sembawang GRC

Question No. 2525

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry will review the regulatory framework for nursing homes to strengthen the early detection of persistent lapses in resident care, medication management, and governance; and (b) what protections can families count on to prevent such incidents.

Answer

1         Sir, as part of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) regulatory oversight over providers, we conduct regular and periodic audits, special thematic reviews, and inspections on Nursing Homes. This includes off-cycle audits in response to feedback and complaints, to ensure residents’ safety. Such an approach ensures that shortcomings and lapses in nursing homes are addressed and rectified in a timely way.

2         The great majority of nursing homes placed on closer monitoring take adequate corrective actions and sustain the improvements. However, if the gaps are serious, repeated and there is a lack of serious effort to rectify them, such as in the case of Windsor Convalescent Home and LC Nursing Home, MOH will have to escalate our measures.

3         These two cases of licence revocation are therefore an outcome of the regulatory framework working as intended. In response to previous identified non-compliances, MOH conducted a thematic audit focusing on compliance with infection prevention and control practices, and basic custodial and nursing care, for selected higher-risk operators. After the gaps were first identified, operators were given an opportunity to rectify the lapses, during which we intensified our monitoring of and engagement with the operators. When we ascertained that the remediation efforts were inadequate or were not sustained for the two operators, we revoked their licences and arranged for Vanguard Healthcare to step in.

4         MOH and AIC will also be sharing the findings of our recent audits, and the various manpower training and grant support available, with the nursing home sector. This will help the sector maintain an appropriate standard of care.

5         In response to Mr Fadli Fawzi, like all regulatory functions, it is impossible to eradicate and prevent recurrence of lapses. But with a robust regime, we can uphold good standards of operations, constructive relationship between the regulator and the operator, to better serve the residents.

6         Mr Lee Hong Chuan asked about claims and compensation. MOH’s regulatory framework aims at assessing licensees’ care delivery practices and protocols, in compliance with the Healthcare Services Act, to ensure resident safety. When necessary, we will step in and take over the operations, or coordinate the relocation of residents to another facility. However, as the provision of care is a contract between the resident and the nursing home, MOH is unable to coordinate private claims from residents or their families against the nursing home.