Workload faced by public healthcare professionals

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Leon Perera
Non-Constituency MP

Question No. 6

To ask the Minister for Health if he can provide the data that compares the workload and work stress faced by doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals at various levels in public hospitals with equivalent professionals in other developed countries such as Australia, Japan, USA and the UK.

Oral Reply

1.                 Direct comparative studies on stress and workload of healthcare professionals are not readily available. One other way is to look at the statistics on the number of doctors and nurses per 10,000 population compiled by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The doctor to population ratios for Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States ranged from 22 to 34. Singapore’s doctor-to-population of 21 doctors per 10,000 population is comparable to the ratios of Asian economies like Hong Kong and Taiwan, at 18. For nurses, the nurse to population ratio in Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States ranged from 56 to 115. Singapore’s ratio in 2014 was 69 nurses per 10,000 population, which is comparable to the ratios of Hong Kong and Taiwan at 66 and 60 respectively.  While these ratios may provide a broad comparison across countries, we need to be mindful of the differences in healthcare demand, clinical practices and operating environments across different countries.

2.                 We are committed to providing good quality healthcare for Singaporeans which is accessible and affordable.  To prepare for an ageing population, MOH has been building more healthcare facilities, such as acute hospitals, community hospitals and nursing homes.  We are on track to meet our target of providing 9,000 acute beds, 3,000 community hospital beds and 17,000 nursing home beds by 2020.

3.                 We are also hiring and training more healthcare professionals so that healthcare institutions have sufficient manpower to care for our patients. Between 2011 and 2014, the number of registered doctors in Singapore has increased by about 22%, from 9,600 to 11,700. The number of registered nurses has increased by about 19%, from 31,700 to 37,600.      

4.                 Our public hospitals have been working closely with union leaders and healthcare professionals to provide a conducive work environment. This is an on-going effort.  Initiatives that have been implemented include flexible work arrangements for nurses, shorter rotating shifts for doctors, workflow process optimisation and adoption of information technology to streamline and minimize administrative workload. We will continue to work with our stakeholders to strive for further improvements

5.                 Another important area is for all of us – Ministry, hospitals, as well as patients and their loved ones, to show appreciation and support for our healthcare workers.  Often, a simple “thank you” or a nice gesture can go a long way to motivate our healthcare workers to continue doing their best to serve the public with care, professionalism and commitment.