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Transcript

Thank You!

SMC's stand

The SMC does not initiate proccedings, or police the profession, and can only come in when someone lodges a complaint with the SMC.

Should they fail these requirements, they will not be able to renew their certificates, but they will be able to practice medicine till their certificate expires.

The Consequences of Failure

CME is a compulsory programme set up by the SMC in 2003, to let doctors keep themselves updated with changes in medicine generally and in areas relevant to his own practice in particular.

Continual Medical Education (CME)

The SMC requires doctors to have Practicing Certificates (PCs), which need to be renewed annually. Every doctor must meet requirements set by the SMC to renew their certificates.

Continual Medical Education (CME)

Registering new doctors

Applicants for a practicing license must:

  • Possess a basic medical degree
  • Have a job offer at an institution SMC approved
  • Have no previous complaints against them

The purpose of the MRA is to ensure that registered medical practitioners are fit to practise medicine; uphold high standards of practice and maintain public confidence in them.

What is the Medical Registration Act (MRA)?

Ethical Code & Guidelines

This Ethical Code represents the conduct and behaviour expected of doctors practising in Singapore.

The Ethical Guidelines elaborate on the Code and a guide as to what SMC regards as the minimum standards of doctors in Singapore.

The SMC is a statutory board under the Ministry of Health. It is a database that records down qualified doctors and monitors their actions.

1. What is the SMC?

2. What does the SMC do?

  • Continually educates doctors
  • Regulates the professional conduct and ethics of registered medical practitioners
  • Registers new doctors
  • Act as required under the Medical Registration Act

3. When was the SMC formed?

The SMC was founded in 1905, under the Medical Registration Ordinance. Since then the MRO was amended many times, and now it has become the Section 5 of the Medical Registration Act (Cap 174).

The physician's pledge

The SMC Physician’s Pledge is based on the Declaration of Geneva and is a

set of ethical values that each doctor in Singapore is expected to uphold

professionally at all times. Since 1995, every doctor upon being admitted as

a fully registered practitioner with the SMC has to make this pledge.

4. Mission

Singapore Medical Council

thank you!

With many medical advancements and new treatments now, SMC will definitely continue to do what it is doing.

The purpose of the SMC is to protect the health and safety of the public by ensuring that registered doctors are competent and fit to practice medicine, uphold standards of practice within the profession, and to maintain public confidence.

10. The future of SMC

By: Yap Teng Chiong, Daniel Sim, Tam Wai Yong, Janarthanan Dharun, Elijah Yap

The Physician's Pledge:

“I solemnly pledge to:

dedicate my life to the service of humanity;

give due respect and gratitude to my teachers;

practise my profession with conscience and dignity;

make the health of my patient my first consideration;

respect the secrets which are confided in me;

uphold the honour and noble traditions of the medical profession;

respect my colleagues as my professional brothers and sisters;

not allow the considerations of race, religion, nationality or social

standing to intervene between my duty and my patient;

maintain due respect for human life;

use my medical knowledge in accordance with the laws of humanity;

comply with the provisions of the Ethical Code; and

constantly strive to add to my knowledge and skill.

I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honour.”

Lodging complaints

On 23 Aug 2012, two articles were published in the Straits Times about Susan Lim, a prominent surgeon, who was charged with a 3-year suspension by the SMC for 94 charges, 83 of overcharging a royal patient from Brunei, 11 of inflating the invoices from third-party doctors, brought against her by the Ministry Of Health who lodged a complaint with the SMC.

5. What else does the SMC do?

This is sign that the SMC is heading slowly towards full disclosure. This will affect SMC as a whole.

When you have lodged your complaint, the Complaints Panel will appoint a Complaints Commitee to look into the complaint.

Susan Lim case - The future

9. Susan Lim case

  • Advises relevant authorities on the instruction and examination leading to the Singapore degree
  • The SMC will investigate reports of inappropriate conduct
  • The SMC can suspend a doctor's privilege to practice medicine

Outcomes

There are a few possible outcomes. These include:

  • Order that the complaint be dismissed
  • Order that the medical practitioner be issued with a letter of warning
  • Order that the medical practitioner take advice regarding his medical practice
  • For example, a complaint can take 6 to 9 months
  • Even then, the complainer might not be happy with the result and can appeal, taking up even more time. The SMC is slow, and can be overly concerned with procedure at the expense of efficiency.

6.Transparency in the SMC

The SMC currently is not very transparent, and there is little public awareness of what the SMC does.

SMC's role in this case was to charge Susan Lim, and to hand out the penalties. Susan Lim's penalties is one of the most serious, the maximum being struck off the register and not being able to practise any more.

8. Counterpoint

Susan Lim case (cont)

7. Does the SMC fulfill its goals?

  • Yes, the fact that cases of misconduct are dealt with means that the SMC has been effective.
  • However, new challenges have arisen, e.g. Aesthetic medicine

Status quo of the SMC

Consequences:

  • Patients - Minimal risk of identification; Unable to attend hearing
  • Physician - No public reputational injury if not convicted
  • Profession - Perception of opacity damages profession’s standing as placing patient and public interest ahead of its own
  • Public - Expressed dissatisfaction with status quo through media reports and parliamentarian views

Full disclosure

Consequences:

  • Patients - Increased risk of identification; Opportunity to confront defendant at hearing
  • Physician - Public reputational injury possible even if acquitted
  • Profession - Poorly managed isolated cases of misconduct may tar the entire profession
  • Public - May strengthen confidence in SMC processes OR may cause erosion in confidence depending on media portrayal and public reactions
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