On 13 March 2019, the Ministry of Health (MOH) established a workgroup to address concerns about consent-taking and disciplinary processes of the Singapore Medical Council (SMC). The 3 professional bodies, namely the Academy of Medicine Singapore (AMS), College of Family Physicians Singapore (CFPS) and the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) were asked to appoint representatives to the workgroup. After months of obtaining and collating feedback from the many stakeholders, the workgroup has finalized the report and recommendations. We believe that the recommendations, that are wide-ranging and comprehensive, will achieve its goal of clarifying the area of informed consent and strengthening the disciplinary process for the benefit of all stakeholders. To protect the interests of the public, and confidence in the healthcare system, the 3 professional bodies maintain that self-regulation of the medical profession by the SMC remains the best way forward. Therefore, our hope is that these recommendations will build up the competencies of the SMC and improve its processes. The 3 professional bodies affirm that we will continue to provide assistance to the SMC, as well as maintaining our role as a group of experienced and responsible peers that SMC can draw on during implementation.
Jointly issued on 3 December 2019