Patients rate Singapore public health care highly

By eGov Innovation Editors | Apr 20, 2011

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SINGAPORE -- The public rated Singapore hospitals, polyclinics and national specialty centers highly in the most recent Patient Satisfaction Survey 2010, with nearly 8 out 10 or a high 76 percent saying the services were excellent or good.

The Singapore government website reported that nearly 12,000 patients participated in the survey from September to December 2010, the seventh to be conducted to assess the level of patient satisfaction in public healthcare institutions. The results were confirmed by an independent survey company commissioned by the Ministry of Health.

As in past surveys, the respondents were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with the institutions based on the nine criteria: facilities, care coordination, knowledge and skills of doctors, care and concern shown by doctors, knowledge and skills of nurses, care and concern shown by nurses, knowledge and skills of allied health professionals, care and concern shown by allied health professionals, and clear explanation by staff on the procedures and care.

In the 2009 survey, 76 percent of the respondents also gave an excellent rating to public health services, up slightly from the 74 who said so in 2008. The overall satisfaction rating of patients in the public healthcare institutions in the country has seen a steady rise, starting from 68 percent in 2005.

The three top hospitals rated in the most recent survey were: the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, with 82 percent of respondents saying the services were either excellent or good; Tan Tock Seng Hospital (78 percent), and Alexandra Hospital (77 percent). The top three institutions among the polyclinics were Clementi (91 percent), Toa Payoh (91 percent) and Bukit Batok (76 percent), while the top national specialty centers were the Institute of Mental Health (94 percent), National Skin Centre (83 percent) and National Nleuroscience Institute (78 percent).

"Against rising public expectation, I am glad that our hospitals and clinics have been able to maintain standard," Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan wrote in his blog.

The Minister noted that KTPH has set a high benchmark for the other hospitals and that while it is still new, it has already impressed its patients. "I told the team planning the new NTFH in Jurong to try to do even better. This way, our hospitals will continue to move upwards in service level, benefitting all patients, especially those in the subsidised wards," he said.