When the 1998 Yellow Pages was published in July this year, the SMA Ethics Committee was of the opinion that certain advertisements may have infringed the Advertising Guidelines of the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act (PHMC). The advertisements concerned were referred to the Medical Audit and Accreditation Unit for further action.

We would like to draw to your attention, that only healthcare establishments, and not doctors are allowed to advertise in the Yellow Pages. Doctors’ particulars are only allowed in the advertisement in context of information allowed by the Act (para 3.1 to 3.3) for the clinics.

The SMA has been appointed by MAAU to provide advisory of the PHMC Advertising Guidelines. This was published in the July 97 issue of the SMA News. SMA members may request for a copy of the advisory (Tel: 223-1264).

We wish to inform you the following pertaining to clinics advertisements in the Yellow Pages:

1. Appointments

"Past or present appointments of the doctor in other institutions should not be in the advertisement of the concerned clinic, eg. "Previously Senior Registrar" of a department in a restructured hospital."

2. Specialty

We would also like to draw your attention to para 1.21 of the PHMC Advertising Guidelines, "Advertisements shall not contain laudatory statements (including statements of prominence or uniqueness) or superlatives to describe the services or premises of the healthcare establishment". Please be reminded that special interests or specific skills should not be mentioned in the advertisements, eg. "Specialist in adult and children psychiatric problems". With the accreditation of doctor’s specialty by the MOH and the setting up of the Specialists Register by the SMC, clinics can only use information pertaining to the doctor’s specialty or discipline which is registered and/or accredited in the advertisement.

3. Medical Qualifications

Doctors are also reminded that under para 1.1 of the PHMC Advertising Guidelines, "medical qualifications" means any degree, diploma, or licence in medicine and surgery or dentistry which confers on a doctor the eligibility for registration in Singapore under the Medical Registration Act." We have noted that a clinic has advertised the doctor as "Founding member" of certain specialist society, which is not provided for by the Act.

II. Fees for Practising Certificate

When the Medical Registration Act 1997 came into effect on 3 April 1998, the SMC announced that it would issue practising certificates to all registered medical practitioners at a fee of $200 per year. In view of the current economic situation, the SMA appealed in a letter dated 24 July 1998 to the SMC to maintain the fee at $100, which was equivalent to the annual retention fee that was charged under the previous Act. It also urged the Ministry of Health not to increase the fee of other statutory lincenses for equipment and healthcare establishments.

Dr Chen Ai Ju, Registrar of SMC replied on 13 August 1998 as follows:

"I regret to inform you that we are unable to reduce the fee payable for the practising certificate. This is because the Council has incurred rising expenditure over the years due to the increasing number and complexities of applications received for registration. There are also more cases of complaints and enquiries from the public and from the profession. With the expanded functions under the new Medical Registration Act, which has come into operation this year, the Council’s statutory responsibilities and workload have increased even further. Please be assured that the Council is mindful of the need to be as cost efficient as possible and only increase fees if really necessary.

A. Short Consultation Fees for GPs After Usual Clinic Hours

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