Earlier this week, Channel NewsAsia reported on how changes in how the Ministry of Health provides funding for home palliative care has led to an increase in funding for several providers, enabling them to take on more staff and provide a more flexible service.
Previously, providers were reimbursed based on the number of visits made to patients – and some hospices said this funding model may have resulted in unnecessary visits.
With the new model, providers receive a fixed amount of funding per patient – which equates to four visits a month per patient. This enables providers to be flexible in how they provide care – reducing unnecessary visits and increasing visits when needed.
Talking to Channel News Asia, Dr Rina Nga, head of medical services at the Singapore Cancer Society Hospice Care, commented: “Previously, we were limited in funds… now we are looking into ways of attracting nurses, including offering scholarships to them or recruiting nurses from overseas.”
Read the full story on the Channel NewsAsia website.
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