Act of Parliament · 2020 Revised Edition
Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act 1980
Feedback & supportControl, licensing and inspection of private hospitals and clinicsIn plain English
Not legal adviceThe Act provides for the control, licensing and inspection of private hospitals, medical clinics, clinical laboratories and healthcare establishments. The minister may exempt any of these from all or any provisions of the Act or its regulations, subject to terms or conditions. An exemption may be revoked at any time.
Summary · Drafted with AI, checked against the official text on 30 Sep 2026.
Official textFrom Singapore Statutes Online, unchanged
s 1Short title
This Act is the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act 1980.
s 2Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —“authorised officer” means —
any public officer appointed by the Director under section 3(2) to perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Director under this Act or any regulations made under this Act; and
any person authorised by the Director under section 3(3) to assist in the administration of this Act;“clinical laboratory” means any premises used or intended to be used for any type of examination of the human body or of any matter derived from the human body for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of any disease or for the assessment of the health of any person, or for ascertaining the cause of death or the result of any medical or surgical treatment given to any person, but does not include any such premises —
which are maintained by the Government or the National University of Singapore;
which form part of the premises of a licensed private hospital; or
which are maintained by a medical practitioner or dentist as part of his or her medical clinic for the exclusive use of his or her practice;“dentist” means a person who is duly registered under the Dental Registration Act 1999;“Director” means the Director of Medical Services;“healthcare establishment” means any premises or conveyance —
which is used or intended to be used for the provision of any service, or for carrying out any practice or procedure, that is related to the diagnosis, treatment or care of persons suffering from any disease, injury or disability; and
which is declared by the Minister, by order in the Gazette, to be a healthcare establishment for the purposes of this Act,but does not include a private hospital, medical clinic or clinical laboratory or part thereof, or an establishment or conveyance maintained by the Government or the National University of Singapore;“healthcare institution” means a clinical laboratory, a healthcare establishment, a medical clinic or a private hospital;“licence” means a licence issued under this Act to use any premises or conveyance as a private hospital, medical clinic, clinical laboratory or healthcare establishment, and “licensed” is to be construed accordingly;“maternity home” means any premises used or intended to be used for the reception of pregnant women or of women immediately after childbirth;“medical clinic” means any premises used or intended to be used by a medical practitioner, a dentist or any other person —
for the diagnosis or treatment of persons suffering from, or believed to be suffering from, any disease, injury or disability of mind or body; or
for curing or alleviating any abnormal condition of the human body by the application of any apparatus, equipment, instrument or device requiring the use of electricity, heat or light,but does not include any such premises —
which are maintained by the Government or the National University of Singapore; or
which form part of the premises of a licensed private hospital;“medical practitioner” means a person who is duly registered under the Medical Registration Act 1997;“nursing home” means any premises other than a maternity home used or intended to be used for the reception of, and the provision of nursing for, persons suffering or convalescing from any sickness, injury or infirmity;“private hospital” means any premises used or intended to be used for the reception, lodging and treatment and care of persons who require medical treatment or suffer from any disease, and includes a maternity home and a nursing home.
“authorised officer” means —
any public officer appointed by the Director under section 3(2) to perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Director under this Act or any regulations made under this Act; and
any person authorised by the Director under section 3(3) to assist in the administration of this Act;
“clinical laboratory” means any premises used or intended to be used for any type of examination of the human body or of any matter derived from the human body for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of any disease or for the assessment of the health of any person, or for ascertaining the cause of death or the result of any medical or surgical treatment given to any person, but does not include any such premises —
which are maintained by the Government or the National University of Singapore;
which form part of the premises of a licensed private hospital; or
which are maintained by a medical practitioner or dentist as part of his or her medical clinic for the exclusive use of his or her practice;
“dentist” means a person who is duly registered under the Dental Registration Act 1999;
“Director” means the Director of Medical Services;
“healthcare establishment” means any premises or conveyance —
which is used or intended to be used for the provision of any service, or for carrying out any practice or procedure, that is related to the diagnosis, treatment or care of persons suffering from any disease, injury or disability; and
which is declared by the Minister, by order in the Gazette, to be a healthcare establishment for the purposes of this Act,but does not include a private hospital, medical clinic or clinical laboratory or part thereof, or an establishment or conveyance maintained by the Government or the National University of Singapore;
“healthcare institution” means a clinical laboratory, a healthcare establishment, a medical clinic or a private hospital;
“licence” means a licence issued under this Act to use any premises or conveyance as a private hospital, medical clinic, clinical laboratory or healthcare establishment, and “licensed” is to be construed accordingly;
“maternity home” means any premises used or intended to be used for the reception of pregnant women or of women immediately after childbirth;
“medical clinic” means any premises used or intended to be used by a medical practitioner, a dentist or any other person —
for the diagnosis or treatment of persons suffering from, or believed to be suffering from, any disease, injury or disability of mind or body; or
for curing or alleviating any abnormal condition of the human body by the application of any apparatus, equipment, instrument or device requiring the use of electricity, heat or light,but does not include any such premises —
which are maintained by the Government or the National University of Singapore; or
which form part of the premises of a licensed private hospital;
“medical practitioner” means a person who is duly registered under the Medical Registration Act 1997;
“nursing home” means any premises other than a maternity home used or intended to be used for the reception of, and the provision of nursing for, persons suffering or convalescing from any sickness, injury or infirmity;
“private hospital” means any premises used or intended to be used for the reception, lodging and treatment and care of persons who require medical treatment or suffer from any disease, and includes a maternity home and a nursing home.
The Director is, subject to the general or special directions of the Minister, responsible for the administration of this Act.
The Director may, in writing, appoint any public officer to perform all duties imposed and exercise all powers conferred on the Director by this Act or any regulations made under this Act, subject to such conditions and limitations as the Director may specify.
The Director may, in writing, authorise any other person to assist in the administration of this Act.
The Director and every authorised officer are deemed to be public servants within the meaning of the Penal Code 1871.
The Minister may establish one or more advisory committees consisting of such persons as the Minister may appoint for the purpose of advising on such matters arising out of the administration of this Act as are referred to them by the Minister or the Director.
Any premises or conveyance must not be used as a private hospital, medical clinic, clinical laboratory or healthcare establishment except under the authority and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a licence issued by the Director.
If a private hospital, medical clinic, clinical laboratory or healthcare establishment is not licensed or is used otherwise than in accordance with the terms and conditions of its licence, every person having the management or control thereof shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.
The Director may order the person having the management or control of any unlicensed private hospital, medical clinic, clinical laboratory or healthcare establishment to close that private hospital, medical clinic, clinical laboratory or healthcare establishment either forthwith or within the time that the Director specifies.
If the person to whom an order is given under subsection (3) fails to comply with the order —
the person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $1,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction; and
the Director may take such measures as the Director thinks necessary to secure the closure of the unlicensed private hospital, medical clinic, clinical laboratory or healthcare establishment.
An application for a licence must be made to the Director in the prescribed form and must be accompanied by —
the prescribed fee;
any particulars, information and documents that may be specified by the Director; and
if required by the Director, a statutory declaration by the applicant verifying any information contained in or relating to the application.
On receipt of an application under subsection (1), the Director may —
issue the licence applied for subject to such terms and conditions as the Director thinks fit to impose; or
refuse to issue the licence applied for.
In determining whether to issue or refuse to issue a licence, the Director must have regard to —
the character and fitness of the applicant to be issued with a licence or, where the applicant is a body corporate, the character and fitness of the members of the board of directors or committee or board of trustees or other governing body of the body corporate;
the ability of the applicant to operate and maintain a private hospital, medical clinic, clinical laboratory or healthcare establishment (as the case may be) in accordance with the prescribed standards;
the suitability of the premises or conveyance (including the facilities and equipment in the premises or conveyance) to be licensed for use as a private hospital, medical clinic, clinical laboratory or healthcare establishment, as the case may be; and
the adequacy of the nursing and other staff that is to be employed at the premises or conveyance to be licensed.
For the purpose of subsection (3), the Director, before issuing the licence applied for, may —
inspect the premises or conveyance to be licensed, or cause such premises or conveyance to be inspected by an authorised officer; and
require the applicant at the applicant’s own expense —
to make such alteration or improvement to the premises or conveyance to be licensed; or
to provide, fix or install such facilities and equipment in the premises or conveyance,as the Director may specify.
The Director may, at any time, vary or revoke any of the existing terms or conditions imposed under subsection (2)(a) or impose new terms and conditions.
Every licence issued under this section —
must be in the form that the Director determines;
is valid for the period stated in the licence unless it is sooner revoked under section 9; and
may be renewed upon its expiry.
Subsections (1) to (6) apply, with the necessary modifications, to an application for the renewal of a licence.
Every licensed private hospital must, according to the tenor of the licence issued in respect of the private hospital, be of one of the following kinds:
a maternity hospital;
a medical hospital;
a surgical hospital;
a psychiatric hospital;
a convalescent hospital;
a children’s hospital;
a hospital licensed for any 2 or more of the abovementioned purposes;
any other kind of hospital that the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, specify.
Every licence to use any premises as a private hospital must specify the kind of private hospital for which it is issued, and the purposes for which the licensed private hospital may be maintained.
A licensed private hospital must not be used for any purpose other than the purposes in respect of which the licence is issued, and purposes reasonably incidental thereto.
If a licensed private hospital is used in any manner contrary to subsection (3), the licensee and the person or body responsible for the management of the licensed private hospital shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.
The Director may, on an application in writing by a licensee of a private hospital, vary the terms or conditions of the licence, by endorsement on the licence or otherwise in writing, by altering, in the manner that the Director thinks fit, the kind of private hospital for which the licence is in force, or the purpose or purposes for which the licensed private hospital may be maintained.
s 8Register
The Director must cause to be kept and maintained a register of all licensed private hospitals, medical clinics, clinical laboratories and healthcare establishments.
The Director may suspend or revoke a licence if —
the issue of the licence has been obtained by fraud or misrepresentation;
the person to whom the licence has been issued is contravening or has contravened or failed to comply with —
any of the provisions of this Act or any regulations made under this Act;
any term or condition of the person’s licence; or
any direction given to the person by the Director or an authorised officer under this Act or any regulations made under this Act;
the Director is no longer satisfied as to any of the matters specified in section 6(3);
the private hospital, medical clinic, clinical laboratory or healthcare establishment in respect of which the licence was issued has ceased to operate as such; or
it is in the public interest to do so.
Before suspending or revoking the licence under subsection (1), the Director must —
give to the holder of the licence written notice of the Director’s intention to do so; and
in such notice, call upon the holder of the licence to show cause within the time specified in the notice as to why the holder’s licence should not be suspended or revoked.
If the holder of the licence —
fails to show cause within the period of time given to the holder of the licence or any extended period of time that the Director allows; or
fails to show sufficient cause,as to why the holder’s licence should not be suspended or revoked, the Director must give written notice to the holder of the licence of the date from which the suspension or revocation of the holder’s licence is to take effect.
Any person who is aggrieved by —
the refusal of the Director to issue or renew a licence under section 6; or
the decision of the Director to suspend or revoke a licence under section 9,may, within 21 days of the date of receipt of the notice informing the person of the refusal, suspension or revocation (as the case may be) appeal in writing to the Minister whose decision is final.
Before making a decision under subsection (1), the Minister must refer the matter to an advisory committee consisting of —
in the case of an appeal by a medical practitioner relating to his or her medical clinic, 3 members of the Medical Council established under the Medical Registration Act 1997 as the Council may designate; and
in the case of an appeal by a dentist relating to his or her medical clinic, 3 members of the Singapore Dental Council established under the Dental Registration Act 1999 as the Council may designate,and in making his or her decision, the Minister must have regard to any report made to him or her by the advisory committee.