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In forceAmended2020 Revised Edition
Contents

Act of Parliament

Medical Registration Act 1997

Feedback & supportRegistering medical practitioners

In plain English

Not legal advice

This Act provides for the registration of medical practitioners. All fees, penalties and other money payable under the Act must be paid to the medical council. The council can recover unpaid amounts as a debt. A ship's surgeon who treats cabin crew and passengers on board does not need to register or follow the rule on practising certificates. While doing this work, the surgeon has all the privileges of a registered medical practitioner under the Act.

Summary · Drafted with AI, checked against the official text on 30 Sep 2026.

Part 1

Preliminary

Official textFrom Singapore Statutes Online, unchanged

s 1Short title

This Act is the Medical Registration Act 1997.

(1)

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“certificate of experience” means a certificate granted under section 25;

“Complaints Committee” means a committee appointed by the chairman of the Complaints Panel under section 44;

“Complaints Panel” means the panel appointed by the Medical Council under section 39;

“conditional registration” means registration in Part II of the Register of Medical Practitioners pursuant to section 21 or any other provision of this Act, which registration is subject to any condition or restriction as may be imposed;

“degree” means any degree or diploma or any qualification granted by any university or institution legally authorised to grant that degree or diploma or qualification and which degree or diploma or qualification is recognised or approved by the Medical Council;

“Disciplinary Tribunal” means a tribunal appointed by the President of the Disciplinary Commission under section 58 or the Chief Justice under section 59;

“fully registered medical practitioner” means a person registered in Part I of the Register of Medical Practitioners in accordance with section 20(1) or (2), as the case may be;

“Health Committee” means a committee appointed by the Medical Council under section 59H;

“Interim Orders Committee” means a committee appointed by the Medical Council under section 59J;

“lay person” means any person who —

(a)

has rendered distinguished public service, or has achieved distinction in any field; and

(b)

is not a legal professional or a registered medical practitioner;

“legal professional” means any person who —

(a)

has at any time held but no longer holds, office as a Supreme Court Judge or a Judicial Commissioner;

(b)

is an advocate and solicitor of at least 15 years’ standing; or

(c)

is a Judicial Service Officer or Legal Service Officer who has in the aggregate at least 15 years of full-time employment in the Singapore Judicial Service or the Singapore Legal Service (or both);

“Medical Council” means the Medical Council of Singapore established under section 3(1) of the repealed Medical Registration Act (Cap. 174, 1985 Revised Edition), and by virtue of section 3 of this Act means the Singapore Medical Council;

“practising certificate” means a practising certificate granted under section 36;

“president” means the president of the Medical Council;

“professional performance” means the knowledge, skill or care possessed and applied by a registered medical practitioner in the provision of medical services;

“provisional registration” means registration by virtue of section 24 and “provisionally registered” is to be construed accordingly;

“registered medical practitioner” means a person registered under this Act and includes a person deemed to be so registered under section 72(1);

“Registrar” means the Registrar of the Medical Council;

“Registrar of the Supreme Court” includes the Deputy Registrar and an Assistant Registrar;

“Singapore degree” means a degree, diploma or licence in medicine and surgery specified in the First Schedule.

(2)

[Deleted by Act 34 of 2020 wef 01/07/2022]

(3)

[Deleted by Act 34 of 2020 wef 01/07/2022]

(4)

[Deleted by Act 34 of 2020 wef 01/07/2022]

s 2AObject of Act

The object of this Act is to protect the health and safety of the public by providing for mechanisms to —

(a)

ensure that registered medical practitioners are competent and fit to practise medicine;

(b)

uphold standards of practice within the medical profession; and

(c)

maintain public confidence in the medical profession.

Part 2

Medical Council

Part 3

Privileges of Medical Practitioners

Part 4

Registration of Medical Practitioners

Part 5

Specialists Accreditation Board

Part 5A

Family Physicians Accreditation Board

Part 6

Practising Certificates

Part 7

Disciplinary Proceedings and Inquiries

Part 8

General

Part 9

Saving and Transitional Provisions

Schedules