SINGAPORE \u2013 General practitioner (GP) clinics received more government funding following the launch of Singapore\u2019s preventive care strategy Healthier SG<\/span><\/a>, as these private clinics have had to play a larger role in delivering preventive and chronic healthcare.<\/p>\n The funds rose from $230 million in 2022 to about $350 million in 2025.<\/p>\n This represents an average allocation of more than $140,000 for each clinic, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on May 15 at the Singapore Primary Care Conference.<\/p>\n Singapore is moving towards preventive healthcare interventions<\/span><\/a>, where support is introduced earlier at the community level to delay functional decline and promote healthy longevity.<\/p>\n Under support programmes such as the Community Health Assist Scheme and Healthier SG, the Ministry of Health (MOH) pays grants and service fees directly to GP clinics.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, the trend in increased funding for GP clinics will continue.<\/p>\n \u201cThis means that as revenue from medication mark-ups comes down because of competition and other factors, it can be made up, or more than made up, by government payments and service fees for population health,\u201d said Mr Ong, who is also Coordinating Minister for Social Policies.<\/p>\n \u201cBut to deliver more preventive and chronic care, clinics will need new capabilities \u2013 and new ways of working.\u201d<\/p>\n Many GPs are \u201csolopreneurs\u201d, with one clinician delivering most of the care, he said. But chronic care \u2013 especially for patients with more complex needs \u2013 takes a team.<\/p>\n Polyclinics have moved towards the \u201cteamlet\u201d care model, where chronic patients are cared for by a team of doctors, nurses and care coordinators.\u00a0<\/p>\n Under this model of care, a recent internal MOH study found, chronic patients were more likely to keep up with recommended screenings and follow-ups, leading to fewer complications over time, said Mr Ong.<\/p>\n Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung (right) chats with event participants at the Singapore Primary Care Conference on May 15.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Primary care costs rose slightly, but savings from fewer hospitalisations and specialist visits more than offset this, he added.<\/p>\n GPs can work towards the teamlet model by being a part of a primary care network, where private clinics collaborate with one another, and also by hiring additional healthcare staff.<\/p>\n GPs\u2019 access to equipment that polyclinics have \u2013 such as X-rays, ultrasound or retinal cameras, which need heavy capital investment \u2013 will be widened.<\/p>\n MOH will explore ways to enable the clinics\u2019 Healthier SG enrollees to have better access to subsidised ancillary and diagnostic services, either through community health posts (CHPs) or polyclinic services, Mr Ong said.<\/p>\n GPs can also improve chronic care by tapping stronger support in the community.<\/p>\n Over the past few years, MOH has invested in CHPs and active ageing centres (AACs), where seniors can stay active, build social ties and receive lifestyle counselling, as well as frailty assessment and interventions. Agencies such as the Health Promotion Board and People\u2019s Association are also rolling out more healthy lifestyle activities in the community.<\/p>\n GPs can be part of these efforts by connecting residents to the healthy lifestyle activities, as well as coordinating care with AACs or CHPs.<\/p>\n GPs can help to \u201coperate a CHP or partner a CHP to enrol residents in healthcare\u201d and conduct health screening and frailty screening for seniors at an AAC, said Mr Ong.<\/p>\n To facilitate this, MOH has worked with the Housing Board to rethink tenders for new GP clinics in housing estates to give greater weight to care quality, rather than price.<\/p>\n In the past year, eight clinics were tendered out through a price-quality model and have received strong proposals from bidders. Winning price bids have been relatively stable \u2013 and at only a fraction of the record high price registered in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/picture><\/div>