Measures proposed to improve disciplinary regime of doctors

SINGAPORE — The health authorities will explore changing laws here that govern the disciplinary process of doctors, to increase the transparency and speed of proceedings. Two areas to be looked into: Having a lawyer in every disciplinary tribunal, and having appeals committees to look into appeals against orders made by complaints committees.

The Singapore Medical Council (SMC), which regulates doctors here, said it will explore changes to the law with the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The medical watchdog today announced its response to recommendations made by a committee formed in Dec 2012 to improve the disciplinary process of doctors. The committee, chaired by a senior doctor, Professor Raj Nambiar, submitted its report to the SMC last November. The SMC finished studying the report last month.

The committee was appointed after the Court of Appeal threw out a case in September 2012 involving aesthetic doctor Low Chai Ling and criticised how the SMC had managed her disciplinary proceedings. Among other things, the Court of Appeal judges had said the framing of Dr Low’s charges for practicing non-evidence-based treatments “raises troubling questions as to what she was really being punished for”.

The SMC said it has taken up some recommendations that do not require changes to the law. For example, it now schedules weekly complaints committee meetings to speed up work flow, where previously five cases were accumulated before convening a complaints committee. And since last December, a legal service officer has been seconded to the SMC and is involved in managing complaints and disciplinary matters.

The report of the committee can be found on the SMC’s website, www.smc.gov.sg.

The identities of the 11 committee members were also made known today – besides Prof Nambiar, other members include oncologist Dr Tan Yew Oo, senior lawyer George Lim and Ministry of Law Deputy Secretary Valerie Thean. They were advised by Supreme Court judge Judith Prakash and senior lawyers Thean Lip Ping and Alvin Yeo.

In a statement released today (July 24), the MOH said that it welcomed and agreed with the Review Committee’s recommendations on the Singapore Medical Council’s (SMC) disciplinary processes, and stated that it would work with SMC on its proposal to amend the Medical Registration Act and Medical Registration Regulations.