Public can approach Health Sciences Authority with various health concerns as agency widens scope

Legislative changes approved in Parliament on Sept 9 will see an consolidation of health regulatory functions under the Health Sciences Authority.

ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Published Sep 09, 2026, 07:45 PM

Updated Sep 09, 2026, 07:45 PM

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) will consolidate more health regulatory functions for a coherent, future-ready system, improving patient access to healthcare innovations like AI and genomics.

HSA will become the single contact point for medicine, medical devices, and healthcare professional concerns, enabling better risk identification and coordinated enforcement across healthcare domains.

The transfer of Ministry of Health (MOH) and Secretariat of Professional Boards functions to HSA will occur in phases, ensuring smooth transitions without affecting professional bodies' independence or staff welfare.

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SINGAPORE - As Singapore’s integrated health regulator, the beefed-up Health Sciences Authority will build a system that protects patients and provides clarity to the healthcare industry and professionals, while enabling timely access to beneficial healthcare innovations.

This will bring value to various stakeholders, said Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam in Parliament.

The Health Sciences Authority (Amendment) and Other Matters Bill was passed on Sept 9, paving the way for a consolidation of health regulatory functions under the authority.

“Bringing these regulatory capabilities and expertise closer together will allow us to respond more coherently across the healthcare journey,” she said, during the debate on the Bill.

Currently, the regulatory system spans three different agencies, she explained. The Ministry of Health (MOH) regulates healthcare services, health information, human biomedical research and biosafety; HSA regulates health products such as medicines and medical devices; and the Secretariat of healthcare Professional Boards supports the boards and councils that oversee the regulations of doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals.

More than an organisational restructuring, the move is an opportunity to lay the foundation for a more future-ready system that protects patients while giving them timely access to beneficial healthcare innovations, she said.

For instance, the public can turn to HSA as their sole touchpoint for concerns related to medicine purchased, medical devices used in their care, or the healthcare service provider or professional caring for them.

And at a time when healthcare is evolving rapidly, there are new models of care and innovative technologies, such as digital health, genomics and artificial intelligence (AI), which may span various regulatory domains, she pointed out.

AI has huge potential to improve patient care, however its regulation cuts across multiple domains.

An integrated regulatory function under HSA would allow it to holistically consider the governance of AI; gives AI developers, healthcare institutions and users a single point of contact; and facilitates clearer and more consistent regulatory guidance for the safe and responsible adoption of AI, said Rahayu.

With visibility across the entire healthcare journey, HSA will also be better placed to identify risks which cut across domains and take coordinated, decisive enforcement action when needed, which benefits the public and patients by ensuring their safety, she added.

HSA will also take over the role of MOH in investigating a clinic for the improper prescription of certain controlled medicines, and looking into the doctor’s professional conduct, beyond its current function of investigating the potential supply sources of controlled medicines.

The Health Ministry will continue to be responsible for stewarding Singapore’s healthcare system, including the national healthcare regulatory policies, to ensure that it remains safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable. HSA will execute the integrated regulatory functions to support the ministry, she explained.

The amendments will come into effect in two phases.

In November, MOH’s regulatory functions and manpower will be transferred to HSA, for it to take over the administration and regulation of Acts such as the Human Biomedical Research Act. HSA officers will also empowered to assist in the administering or enforcement of specified MOH Acts.

In the second phase of consolidation, the Secretariat of healthcare Professional Boards’ (SPB) functions and manpower will be transferred by the end of 2027.

SPB currently supports professional boards and councils overseeing the regulation of various healthcare professionals, such as the Singapore Medical Council which oversee doctors and Singapore Dental Council which oversee dentists.

The existing self-regulatory and disciplinary roles of these bodies remain unchanged.

Nominated MP Kuah Boon Theng, a medical law and ethics lawyer, sought assurance that the reorganisation would not result in any setbacks for SPB to clear the current backlog of complaints, as she noted there were old cases lodged well before 2020 yet to be cleared.

Kuah was one of the eigh t MPs and NMPs who spoke during the debate, all in support of the bill.

In response, Rahayu said that ongoing proceedings will continue through the transition, supported by proper handover of records, case information and institutional knowledge.

She also pointed out that for complaints and disciplinary proceedings, the respective committees and tribunals must be given the space to conduct thorough and fair inquiries.

“Timeliness should not come at the expense of rigour, as disciplinary proceedings carry significant consequences for the professionals involved”, she added.

Rahayu also highlighted that the transfer of functions does not affect the independence and statutory autonomy of these professional bodies over healthcare professional matters, including professional standards and disciplinary decisions.

Responding to MP Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) and NMP Sanjeev Tiwari’s questions about staff impacted by the transition, Rahayu said officers would be transferred on terms which are not less favourable than what they currently enjoy.

She also said that MOH and HSA have engaged affected staff and addressed their concerns, and will continue to support them, including the provision of reskilling opportunities and on-the-job training for those whose job scope would change.

Against the backdrop of healthcare being reshaped by AI, genomics and new care models, “our regulatory system must be capable of evolving around it”, said Rahayu.

“This Bill is a key milestone, laying the foundation for a future-ready regulatory system trusted by the public and our stakeholders. I am confident this transformation will serve Singaporeans well,” she added.

Singapore Parliament

Health Sciences Authority

Healthcare professionals

9月9日国会批准的立法变更将把卫生监管职能整合到卫生科学局之下。

《海峡时报》摄影：KELVIN CHNG

发布于 2026 年 9 月 9 日晚上 7:45

更新于2026年9月9日晚上7:45

卫生科学局 (HSA) 将整合更多卫生监管职能，以建立一个连贯的、面向未来的系统，从而改善患者获得人工智能和基因组学等医疗保健创新的机会。

HSA 将成为药品、医疗器械和医疗保健专业人员关注问题的单一联系点，从而能够更好地识别风险并协调医疗保健领域的执法工作。

卫生部和专业委员会秘书处的职能移交给卫生科学局将分阶段进行，以确保平稳过渡，不会影响专业机构的独立性或员工福利。

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新加坡——作为新加坡的综合性卫生监管机构，加强后的卫生科学局将建立一个保护患者、为医疗保健行业和专业人士提供清晰指导的系统，同时确保人们能够及时获得有益的医疗保健创新。

卫生部国务部长拉哈尤·马赫扎姆在议会表示，这将为各利益相关方带来价值。

9月9日，《卫生科学局（修订）及其他事项法案》获得通过，为将卫生监管职能整合到该局下铺平了道路。

“将这些监管能力和专业知识更紧密地结合起来，将使我们能够在整个医疗保健过程中做出更协调一致的反应，”她在法案辩论期间说道。

她解释说，目前监管体系涵盖三个不同的机构。卫生部负责监管医疗服务、健康信息、人体生物医学研究和生物安全；卫生科学局负责监管药品和医疗器械等健康产品；医疗专业委员会秘书处则为负责监管医生、牙医、护士、药剂师和辅助医疗专业人员的委员会和理事会提供支持。

她表示，此举不仅仅是组织结构重组，更是一个为面向未来的系统奠定基础的机会，该系统既能保护患者，又能让他们及时获得有益的医疗保健创新。

例如，公众可以向 HSA 寻求唯一联系点，以解决与购买的药品、护理中使用的医疗器械或照顾他们的医疗保健服务提供者或专业人员相关的问题。

她指出，在医疗保健快速发展的当下，出现了新的护理模式和创新技术，例如数字健康、基因组学和人工智能 (AI)，这些技术可能涉及各种监管领域。

人工智能在改善患者护理方面具有巨大潜力，但其监管涉及多个领域。

Rahayu表示，在HSA下设立一个综合监管职能，将使其能够全面考虑人工智能的治理；为人工智能开发者、医疗机构和用户提供单一联系点；并促进更清晰、更一致的监管指导，以安全、负责任地采用人工智能。

她补充说，通过对整个医疗保健过程的全面了解，新加坡卫生科学局（HSA）也将能够更好地识别跨领域的风险，并在需要时采取协调一致、果断的执法行动，从而确保公众和患者的安全，使他们受益。

除了目前调查受管制药物潜在供应来源的职能外，卫生科学局还将接管卫生部在调查诊所不当开具某些受管制药物处方以及调查医生职业操守方面的职责。

卫生部将继续负责管理新加坡的医疗保健系统，包括国家医疗保健监管政策，以确保其安全、可负担、便捷和可持续。她解释说，卫生科学局将执行综合监管职能，为卫生部提供支持。

这些修正案将分两个阶段生效。

11月，卫生部的监管职能和人力资源将移交给卫生科学局（HSA），由其接管《人体生物医学研究法》等法案的行政管理和监管工作。卫生科学局官员也将获授权协助执行或实施卫生部的特定法案。

在第二阶段的整合中，医疗专业委员会秘书处（SPB）的职能和人员将于 2027 年底前移交。

新加坡养老金委员会目前支持负责监管各类医疗保健专业人员的专业委员会和理事会，例如负责监管医生的新加坡医疗理事会和负责监管牙医的新加坡牙科理事会。

这些机构现有的自律和纪律职能保持不变。

委任议员郭文婷（音译）是一名医疗法律和伦理律师，她要求保证重组不会对新加坡警察监督局（SPB）清理目前积压的投诉造成任何阻碍，因为她指出，还有一些在 2020 年之前提交的旧案件尚未得到清理。

Kuah是辩论期间发言的八位国会议员和非国会议员之一，他们都支持该法案。

对此，拉哈尤表示，正在进行的诉讼程序将在过渡期间继续进行，并会妥善移交记录、案件信息和机构知识。

她还指出，对于投诉和纪律处分程序，必须给予相关委员会和法庭足够的空间进行彻底、公正的调查。

她补充说：“及时性不应以牺牲严谨性为代价，因为纪律处分程序会对相关专业人员产生重大影响。”

Rahayu 还强调，职能转移不会影响这些专业机构在医疗保健专业事务（包括专业标准和纪律处分决定）方面的独立性和法定自主权。

针对国会议员 Melvin Yong（拉丁马士）和非议员 Sanjeev Tiwari 关于过渡期间受影响员工的问题，Rahayu 表示，员工的调动条件不会比他们目前享有的条件更差。

她还表示，卫生部和卫生科学局已与受影响的员工进行了沟通，解决了他们的担忧，并将继续为他们提供支持，包括为那些工作范围会发生变化的员工提供再培训机会和在职培训。

Rahayu表示，在人工智能、基因组学和新的护理模式重塑医疗保健的背景下，“我们的监管体系必须能够围绕它而发展”。

她补充说：“这项法案是一个重要的里程碑，为建立一个面向未来、深受公众和利益相关者信赖的监管体系奠定了基础。我相信，这一变革将造福新加坡人民。”

新加坡国会

健康科学管理局

医疗保健专业人员