One announcement during the debate on the Health Ministry's budget last week was for more people to have one regular primary care doctor, such as a general practitioner (GP). From next year, residents will be invited to enrol with a GP or polyclinic doctor of their choice as their first line of care. These doctors can support an individual's health needs throughout his life, to keep him out of the hospital as much as possible and ensure continuity of care. This is now done on an ad hoc basis, if at all, with only three in five Singaporeans today having a regular doctor. While the concept of moving from hospital-centric to preventive care is not new, the latest move marks a substantive action plan for every Singaporean.

Doctors can now play a more active role in advising patients on lifestyle modification, something that will feature more in GP consultations. Patients will be scheduled for regular follow-up consultations with their GPs for the management of chronic conditions, vaccinations or check-ups to determine if they need screening tests. Private sector GPs will be plugged into the public network so they can access patients' medical records. The GPs will also record any new details into the electronic health record system. The patients' choice will be preserved - for example, if they wish to see a doctor farther away from their place of residence. Nor will medical consultations pre-judge what items to include or exclude.