It is hereby notified for general information that, pursuant to regulation 7A of the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Regulations (Rg1), the Director of Medical Services issues the following guidelines which shall take effect from 9^th May 1997:

Paragraph

1. General Principles
2. Private Hospital Advertisements
3. Medical Clinic Advertisements
4. Clinical Laboratory Advertisements

1. In these Guidelines, unless the context otherwise requires –

"advertising" with its grammatical variations is used in its broadest sense to include all forms of advertisements (including but not limited to business cards, notices, office letterheads, professional stationery, other documents, directories of any kind, electronic advertisements and advertisements in any other media) of the services of any private hospital, medical clinic or clinical laboratory to patients, prospective patients, healthcare professionals, persons who may refer patients, any other section of the public or the general public.

"doctor" means any medical practitioner who is registered under the Medical Registration Act (Cap.174) or any dentist who is registered under the Dentists Act (Cap.76);

"healthcare establishment" means any private hospital (including any nursing home), medical clinic or clinical laboratory;

"hospital directory" means any directory (including staff directories) distributed or intended to be distributed by a private hospital to any healthcare professional upon request, or to any person or organisation making unsolicited, bona fide enquires relating to the services of the private hospital, whether such healthcare professional, person or organisation is located in Singapore or overseas;

"medical qualification" means any degree, diploma or licence in medicine and surgery or dentistry which confers on a doctor the eligibility of registration in Singapore under the Medical Registration Act or the Dentists Act, as the case may be;

"staff", in relation to any healthcare establishment, includes the employees of the healthcare establishment and any other person who provides any service within the premises of the healthcare establishment.

Application

2. These guidelines govern all advertisements of the services (which include but not limited to advertisements of the staff, facilities and/or equipment) of healthcare establishments, whether issued or published or caused to be issued or published by the healthcare establishments or by any person or organisation associated in any way with the healthcare establishments (such as managed care organisations and insurance companies), or by any staff of the healthcare establishments.
3. Every licensee of a healthcare establishment will be held responsible and accountable for advertisements of the services of the healthcare establishment. The onus is on the licensee of a healthcare establishment to ensure that advertisements of the services of the healthcare establishments are in conformity with these Guidelines. Where required to do so, the licensee shall forthwith withdraw or cause to be withdrawn any offending advertisements from publication or circulation.
4. Any healthcare establishment which has advertised its services, whether in Singapore or overseas, must keep a copy or record of the advertisement in its licensed premises for a period of at least 12 months from the date of last publication of the advertisement.
5. All advertisements shall conform with the prevailing standards of advertising in Singapore, and with any guideline or direction which the Director of Medical Services may issue from time to time.
6. All advertisements shall conform with the written laws for the time being in force in Singapore.
7. Healthcare establishments which advertise overseas must ensure that their advertisements comply with all the relevant requirements of those countries. If advertisements published overseas are also circulated, or available or accessible in Singapore, the advertisements must conform, with these Guidelines.
8. Healthcare establishments are allowed to insert in any of the approved media referred to in paragraph 1.10 information pertaining to their commencement of operation, or any change of address. The advertisements permitted under paragraphs 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 4, may not be issued or published more than once every 6 months except with the prior written approval of the Director of Medical Services.
9. No healthcare establishment shall issue any advertisement which will bring disrepute to Singapore or any health-related profession in Singapore, such as the medical, dental and nursing professions.

Advertising Media

10. Unless otherwise provided in these Guidelines, advertisements of the services of a healthcare establishment shall only appear in newspapers, the Yellow Pages or medical journals. Healthcare establishments shall not advertise in any other media, in particular, in magazines, on radio, television, cinema, billboard and banners, except with the prior approval of the Director of Medical Services.

Business Cards and Stationery

11. Business cards of healthcare establishments may only contain the following:

1. the name, address, map of location, logo and telecommunication number(s) of the healthcare establishment; and
2. the name, Singapore State honours, recognised medical qualification(s) and recognised area(s) of speciality, of any doctor practising at the healthcare establishment.

1. Letterheads, professional stationery and other documents of any healthcare establishment may only have the name, address, telecommunication number(s), operating hours of the healthcare establishment and the names, Singapore State honours, recognised medical qualification(s) and recognised area(s) of speciality of any doctor practising thereat.

Brochures, Leaflets and Pamphlets

2. Healthcare establishments may produce brochures, leaflets or pamphlets. The contents of any brochure, leaflet or pamphlet –

1. of private hospitals, may only contain the information permitted under paragraphs 2.1 and 2.2; and
2. of medical clinics and clinical laboratories, may only contain the information permitted under paragraphs 3 and 4, respectively.

1. All advertisements in the form of brochures, leaflets and pamphlets shall contain the date of publication.
2. Advertisements in the form of brochures, leaflets and pamphlets shall only be made available within the licensed premises of the healthcare establishment, except that brochures, leaflets and pamphlets may be provided outside the licensed premises at the request of any healthcare professional or any person or organisation making unsolicited, bona fide enquires relating to the services of the healthcare establishment.

Internet

3. Healthcare establishments may post advertisements on the Internet provided the advertisements only contain the information permitted under paragraphs 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 4.
4. The Internet shall not be used to correspond or provide professional information, consultation or advice to any member of the public in such a manner as to amount to soliciting or encouraging the use of services provided by or at any healthcare establishment.

Promotions and Publicity

5. The services of any healthcare establishments shall not be advertised in the form of any sales campaign (including door to door sales), exhibition, competition or any other activity (including health screenings, luck draws, fund-raising activities and open-house activities) in such a manner as to introduce, publicise or promote the healthcare establishment or any of its services, except with the prior approval of the Director of Medical Services.

Interviews

6. A licensee of any healthcare establishment may, at the unsolicited request of any print or broadcast media organisation, consent to be interviewed, whether in his professional or private capacity, provided that the interview is not such as to publicise his healthcare establishment to the general public or any section thereof. The following may be made known or available in connection with or during the interview –

1. the name of the person interviewed, and his/her professional appointment;
2. information relating to his/her recognised speciality or practice; and
3. a photograph or illustration of the person interviewed.

1. Any information advertised shall be relevant, up to date, accurate and factual. Any statement about the efficacy of services provided by or at any healthcare establishment must be capable of being substantiated and be in accordance with prevailing accepted standards of professional practice.
2. Advertisements shall not contain any laudatory statements (including statements of prominence or uniqueness) or superlatives to describe the services or premises of the healthcare establishment.
3. Claims of superiority over others and comparisons, whether direct or implied, between 2 or more healthcare establishments in respect of services or premises are prohibited.
4. Advertisements of the services of any healthcare establishment shall only refer to the services provided by the licensee or at the healthcare establishments
5. Testimonials or endorsements of the healthcare establishment, or of any of its services (including any of its staff) are not allowed to be advertised .
6. The logo of a healthcare establishment may be displayed in advertisements (including signboards and nameplates), provided that the logo shall not be ostentatious, sensational or offensive.
7. Unless otherwise provided in these Guidelines, advertisements containing photographs of the services provided by a healthcare establishment shall not feature any person who is a qualified doctor.

Penalties

8. Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions of these Guidelines shall be guilty of an offence under Regulation 54 of the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Regulations (Rg 1) and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

1. Hospital directories may only contain –

1. descriptions of the types of services available, hours of service, the types of and charges for the services available and the telecommunication number (s) of the departments or units of the private hospital;
2. illustrations or photographs of the private hospital and/or its facilities;
3. the names of the staff who are employed by or accredited to the private hospital;
4. the designations of the staff in the private hospital;
5. the recognised medical qualification (s) of the doctors;
6. the main speciality and/or area of practice of the doctors;
7. the names of the department/unit to which each staff is attached;
8. telecommunication number(s) of the departments or units of the private hospital, and
9. the Singapore State honours of the staff in the private hospital.

1. Advertisements (other than hospital directories) of private hospitals may only contain –

1. general information, such as the name of the private hospital, address, hours of service, hospital logo and charges, contact person (by designation only) and telecommunication number (s);
2. the accommodation facilities (for example, attached bathroom, television or telephone) provided, including classes of accommodation, number of beds per class, and mode of payment;
3. the professional services (such as Accident and Emergency, Surgical, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Psychiatric services) available;
4. any of the specialised procedures or services set out in the Schedule which the private hospital has been approved to perform under regulation 17 of the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Regulations (Rg 1), and/or the facilities available; and
5. illustrations or photographs of the private hospital and/or its facilities.

1. Advertisements of medical clinics may only contain –

1. the name of the medical clinics, business address(es), telecommunication number (s) and business hours;
2. the logo of the medical clinic, if any;
3. the services provided, including area(s) of practice;
4. the names of the doctor(s) practising in the medical clinic, their recognised medical qualification(s), and their principal area of practice or speciality (where applicable);
5. illustrations or photographs of the medical clinic and/or its facilities; and
6. (to be provided only in brochures, leaflets or pamphlets) the rates and method of charging patients.

1. Signboards of all medical clinics may only contain –

1. the name if the medical clinic; and
2. the logo of the medical clinic; if any.

1. Nameplates of medical clinics may only contain –

1. the names of the doctor(s) practising in the medical clinic, their recognised medical qualification(s), and their principal area of practice or speciality (where applicable);
2. the logo of the medical clinic (where applicable); and
3. the business hours of the medical clinic.

Advertisements of clinical laboratories may only contain –

1. the name of the clinical laboratory, business address(es), telecommunication number(s) and business hours;
2. the logo of the clinical laboratory, if any;
3. the services provided;
4. the names of the staff practising in the clinical laboratory, the recognised professional qualification(s) of the staff and the principal area of practice or speciality (where applicable);
5. (to be provided only in brochures, leaflets or pamphlets) the rates and method of charging patients.
6. illustrations or photographs of the clinical laboratory and/or its facilities.

1. Blood and blood product collection, processing, storage, distribution and transfusion services (including Autologous blood transfusion)
2. In-vitro fertilisation
3. Neonatal intensive care unit
4. Nuclear medicine, imaging and assay services
5. Renal dialysis
6. Sperm banking
7. Radiation oncology
8. Tissue banking

10 June 2000 - PFA2