SMC to appoint committee to review current disciplinary process

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Medical Council (SMC) said it will appoint a review committee to develop ways to better manage the current disciplinary process.

It said the committee will be chaired by a senior doctor, assisted by a senior legal practitioner and will comprise senior doctors and other legal practitioners.

SMC said the review committee will look into the administrative processes and mitigate the increase in time and expense for disciplinary proceedings.

The statement comes in the wake of the appeals to the High Court, by Dr Low Chai Ling and Dr Georgia Lee.

Both prominent aesthetics doctors were charged with professional misconduct in May this year, and have made appeals over the disciplinary proceedings.

SMC said it wants to clarify the issues that have risen out of the cases.

It said Dr Low and Dr Lee’s cases were disciplinary matters brought up under the old Medical Registration Act, before the amended one came into force. The old Act was strengthened and streamlined in 2010.

SMC said all disciplinary matters before December 1, 2010, will be dealt with under the old Act.

SMC stressed that it stands guided by the High Court’s decision in Dr Low’s case. It said the decision provides valuable guidance in other disciplinary cases involving the conduct of doctors in the practice of aesthetic medicine, and also in the review of the "Guidelines on Aesthetic Practices for Doctors".

Separately, SMC has applied to the High Court to set aside the disciplinary committee’s orders against Dr Lee in view of the High Court’s decision in Dr Low’s case.

—CNA/ac