VOLUME OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED FOR ALLEGED MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE BY HOSPITAL STAFF

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2199 
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON OR AFTER 19 SEPTEMBER 2023

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim 
MP for Sengkang GRC

Question No. 5143

To ask the Minister for Health what is the (i) average number of complaints received per month for alleged medical negligence by hospital staff and (ii) average total patient intake per month, with a breakdown respectively for Sengkang Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and other regional hospitals.

Answer

1      In 2022, the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) received an average of one complaint per month for alleged medical negligence by registered medical practitioners in the public sector hospitals. All these complaints were investigated, most of them involved complex cases, and the SMC was satisfied that there was no negligence on the part of healthcare workers. There were no such complaints received by other Professional Boards. 

2      The patient intake is well spread out across regional hospitals. However, it is higher in National University Hospital, Singapore General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, due to their higher patient loads and the complex cases they manage.