Launch of 2020 Healthcare Manpower Plan At Second National Seminar on Productivity in Healthcare

2020 Healthcare Manpower Plan

The 2020 Healthcare Manpower Plan launched by Minister for Health Mr Gan Kim Yong today projected that a total of 30,000 new healthcare jobs would be created between 2015 and 2020.  These jobs cut across various levels, and will provide good job opportunities for Singaporeans – fresh school leavers, mid-career Singaporeans, non-practising healthcare professionals and older workers.

2          The plan outlines various initiatives to help Singaporeans take up good jobs in healthcare. For example, we are supporting the expanding Community Care sector to recruit mid-career talent under the Senior Management Associate Scheme (SMAS) and more healthcare support staff through the Community Care Traineeship Programme and a new retention bonus incentive. Local nurses who have been out of practice have also been encouraged to return to nursing and join the aged care sector under the enhanced Return-to-Nursing (RTN) scheme.

3          The plan also highlights strategies to transform the healthcare workforce. In the area of building future skills, a new SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme in gerontology nursing will be launched by the Nanyang Polytechnic to enable nursing graduates to deepen their skills and knowledge to provide aged care in the community. In the area of technology, the healthcare industry will see exciting transformations to achieve higher productivity through innovation efforts in the areas of care redesign, technology and workforce transformation.

4          Minister for Health Mr Gan Kim Yong said: “The transformation of our healthcare workforce is a journey. It is a journey that we need to embark on together – as leaders, as healthcare workers, as patients and caregivers, as students, as young adults and parents. Only if we all share the same vision of what a good healthcare system for tomorrow is and what the important skills and career choices are, can we build a healthcare system that will serve Singaporeans well for the years to come.”

National Seminar on Productivity in Healthcare 2016

6          This year’s National Seminar on Productivity in Healthcare is focused on the theme of “Driving Value in Healthcare”, through the enablers of Care Redesign, Automation, IT and Robotics Innovation and Workforce Transformation. More than 30 local and foreign experts from the healthcare and other industries will share knowledge, insights and experiences on these three enablers. The Seminar also features an exhibition showcasing over 40 projects related to healthcare innovation and productivity, contributed by over 30 public and private institutions. Over 1,100 delegates from healthcare institutions across the acute, primary and community care sectors are expected to attend the event from 20 to 21 October 2016 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.  This is the second time that the seminar has been organised by the Ministry of Health and Agency for Integrated Care.

7          Adjunct Professor Eugene Fidelis Soh, Chairperson of the National Seminar on Productivity in Healthcare 2016 Organising Committee and Chief Executive Officer of Tan Tock Seng Hospital said, “We need to urgently shift from a Volume-Driven Healthcare approach, where doing more is better; to a Value-Driven Healthcare approach, where doing better is more. This drives better care outcomes at sustainable cost, and ensures that our healthcare continues to be accessible to our patients. To deliver care we value amidst population challenges, we must innovate and create better jobs that are meaningful and fulfilling for our healthcare professionals. The National Seminar on Productivity in Healthcare provides a platform for us to learn and innovate together.”

Inaugural National Healthcare Innovation and Productivity (HIP) Medals

8         Six projects from healthcare institutions were recognised today with the new National HIP Medals. Sponsored by the Ng Teng Fong Healthcare Innovation Programme, six projects out of 56 submissions from over 20 institutions demonstrated excellence in three categories – (i) Care Redesign, (ii) Automation, IT and Robotics Innovation, and (iii) Workforce Transformation. (Details on the National HIP Medals are attached as Annex A) [DOCX, 54KB]. Of the six, Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Medical Ambulatory Centre (MAC) project took home the first overall Excellence Champion Medal for demonstrating exceptional innovation and productivity in more than one award category.

The Healthcare Manpower Plan can be downloaded here [PDF, 8485KB]. 

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
Agency for integrated care
Tan Tock Seng Hospital

20 OCTOBER 2016