Supporting and Promoting Generalist Medicine

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong
Non-Constituency MP

Question No. 1580

To ask the Minister for Health what is being done to elevate the status and standing of generalist doctors, enhance the health infrastructure to support generalist doctors and promote generalist medicine among young doctors beyond moral suasion.

Oral Reply:

1    Generalist doctors play a central role in providing patient-centric and holistic care for an ageing population.  The Ministry supports them in a few ways.  

2    First, MOH is investing in training and development of broad based professional competencies for all doctors.  We plan to incorporate a set of core clinical curriculum of generalist skillsets in our medical schools’ undergraduate curriculum.  For postgraduate training, efforts are underway to define the generalist competencies that should be integrated into the training programmes for specialists.  For example, a mandatory Geriatric Medicine Modular Training Programme for non-Internal Medicine residents[1] has been instituted as part of Residency training to equip residents with the necessary skills of managing elderly patients within their respective specialties.

3    Second, we are encouraging doctors to take up training positions for Family Medicine as well as specialties with broader generalist competencies such as Geriatric Medicine and Advanced Internal Medicine.  Through regular engagement sessions at various platforms, the Ministry is already creating awareness of our changing postgraduate needs to train the right mix of doctors and at the same time, signalling the shift in priority by increasing the number of training positions for these disciplines. MOH has also been offering funding for in-service Medical Officers and General Practitioners (GPs) to take up postgraduate Family Medicine training.

4    Third, we are giving more recognition to these doctors.  In 2014, the Chapter of Family Medicine Physicians was formed under the Academy of Medicine Singapore.  This recognises Family Physicians with Fellowship as being on par with that of specialists.

5    Finally, we are providing support to help them improve their practise environment and deliver more effective care.  This includes supporting private GP-run Family Medicine Clinics, funding Community Health Centres to support general practitioners (GPs), and extending allied health support for our Polyclinic doctors. We are now in the process of resourcing Primary Care Networks (PCNs), to enable our GPs to better manage patients with chronic diseases.

6    I would also like to acknowledge Dr Tan Wu Meng, who has also raised similar concerns in a separate written Parliamentary Questionopens in a new window on post graduate medical training and how MOH has strengthened and empowered family physicians, internists and other doctors in generalist co-ordinating physician roles to meet Singapore’s future healthcare needs. I am glad to share that the Generalist Competencies Standing Committee has been appointed and are currently reviewing the core set of competencies every resident should have.

[1] Except for Pathology and Paediatric Medicine