REVISION OF LICENSING TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR LIPOSUCTION SERVICES

          To uphold the quality of care and safety in the provision of liposuction services in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) periodically reviews the liposuction regulatory framework to ensure that patient safety issues are always emphasised and complied with.

2          Following such a scheduled review, MOH, in conjunction with the Accreditation Committee on Liposuction (ACL), has revised the specific licensing conditions for liposuction to further enhance the safety of liposuction practice in Singapore. This revised set of licensing terms and conditions is currently in effect. For existing clinics that are providing liposuction services, this revised set of licensing terms and conditions will be enforced from 1 Mar 2015.

3          Under these revised specific licensing conditions, all liposuction services shall only be allowed in the following healthcare institutions: 

i.           Medical clinics that are approved to provide ambulatory surgery. These clinics are also known as Ambulatory Surgical Centres (ASCs); and

ii.           Hospitals.

4          Medical clinics that intend to provide liposuction services must first apply for approval to become ASCs. Thereafter, the ASCs must apply for additional approval to provide liposuction in the clinics.

5          The revised specific licensing conditions also enhance patient safety issues in that certain higher risk procedures related to liposuction shall only be performed in a hospital on an inpatient basis.

6          MOH will continue to closely monitor the trends in the quality of care and safety of liposuction here. As a highly invasive procedure, liposuction has been known to cause severe complications, including death.  Hence, it should be carried out only by trained doctors in well-equipped and well-staffed facilities. Members of the public can also exercise due caution by ascertaining that the medical practitioners and healthcare institutions consulted are properly licensed or accredited to perform the desired procedures and treatments. When in doubt, they should seek a second opinion from their regular Family Physician whom they trust, or other qualified medical practitioners. 

Background

7          In Nov 2008, MOH implemented a set of Specific Licensing Terms and Conditions (LTCs) for Medical Clinics providing Liposuction under the Third Schedule of the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics (PHMC) Act. This set of specific LTCs outlines the requirements for the provision of liposuction, which is a form of special care service (ambulatory surgery).  The LTCs mandate that doctors who wish to perform liposuction in a medical clinic have to be credentialed by the ACL. In Nov 2010, MOH implemented a revised set of the liposuction LTCs which places greater emphasis on patient safety issues that the clinics have to comply with.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

31 OCTOBER 2014