Singapore legislation
Regulation 16
of Healthcare Services (Emergency Ambulance Service and Medical Transport Service) Regulations 2022
Regulation 16
Conveyance of patients
Subregulation 1
Unless paragraph (1A) or (1B) applies, a licensee must ensure that the crew leader of the service crew deployed to an approved emergency ambulance or approved medical transport is positioned next to a patient at all times while the patient is being conveyed, such that the crew leader can readily monitor the condition of the patient.
Subregulation 1A
An emergency ambulance service licensee that is approved to provide an adult cardiac critical care service, adult general critical care service or paediatric critical care service must ensure that both of the following persons are positioned next to the emergency patient at all times while he or she is being conveyed, so that those persons can readily monitor the condition of the patient:
the crew leader;
the service crew member mentioned in regulation 9A(2)(c) or (3)(c), 9B(2)(c) or 9C(2)(c), as the case may be.
Subregulation 1B
An emergency ambulance service licensee that is approved to provide an isolation service must ensure that both of the following persons are positioned next to the patient at all times while he or she is being conveyed, so that those persons can readily monitor the condition of the patient:
the crew leader;
the service crew member mentioned in regulation 9D(2)(c).
Subregulation 2
Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), where a patient or the next of kin or carer of a patient informs a licensee that the patient wishes to be conveyed to a specific healthcare institution, the licensee —
must convey the patient to the healthcare institution specified; and
must not (directly or indirectly) influence, persuade or coerce, or attempt to influence, persuade or coerce, the patient to be conveyed to another healthcare institution.
Subregulation 3
Subject to paragraph (4), where a patient or the next of kin or carer of a patient informs a licensee that the patient wishes to be conveyed to a place other than a specific healthcare institution, the licensee must convey the patient to that place.
Subregulation 4
Paragraphs (2) and (3) do not apply to or in relation to an emergency patient who is in a state, or is in imminent danger, of cardiovascular collapse.
Subregulation 5
To avoid doubt, paragraph (2) does not prevent a licensee, in response to a request by a patient or the next of kin or carer of a patient, from suggesting a suitable healthcare institution that the patient may be conveyed to.
Subregulation 6
An emergency ambulance service licensee must convey the following patients to the nearest relevant hospital that has the necessary capabilities to provide appropriate care and treatment for an individual with the patient’s medical condition:
an emergency patient who is in a state, or in imminent danger, of cardiovascular collapse;
an emergency patient (other than an emergency patient mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a)) who has not, or whose next of kin or carer has not, informed the emergency ambulance service licensee that the patient wishes to be conveyed to a specific hospital.
Subregulation 7
For the purposes of paragraphs (2) and (6)(b), a patient is taken to have informed a licensee (A) that the patient wishes to be conveyed to a specific healthcare institution if the patient or the next of kin or carer of the patient, at the time the patient uses the applicable service provided by A, knows that A —
is also a relevant licensee of that healthcare institution; or
has a contract or other arrangement with the relevant licensee of that healthcare institution under which A exclusively conveys patients to that healthcare institution.
Subregulation 7A
Paragraphs (7B) and (7C) apply to an emergency ambulance service licensee (called in this regulation the relevant EAS licensee) that is approved to provide any specified service and that conveys or intends to convey a patient who requires that specified service from an acute hospital (X) to another acute hospital (Y).
Subregulation 7B
Unless paragraph (7C) applies, the relevant EAS licensee must, before conveying the patient to Y, ensure that the acute hospital service licensee of Y has agreed to the admission of the patient to Y.
Subregulation 7C
Where the relevant EAS licensee knows that the patient has voluntarily discharged himself or herself from the care of the acute hospital service licensee of X, the relevant EAS licensee must, before conveying the patient to Y, inform the acute hospital service licensee of Y that the patient will be conveyed to Y.
Subregulation 8
In this regulation —
Definition
“healthcare institution” means the approved permanent premises at which a relevant licensee provides, or the approved conveyance used by a relevant licensee to provide, a licensable healthcare service;
Definition
“relevant licensee”, in relation to a healthcare institution, means a person authorised to provide a licensable healthcare service (other than an applicable service) at the healthcare institution by a licence under the Act.