Efforts to Address Nursing Shortage and Improve Hospital Efficiency
Singapore is set to onboard close to 4,000 new nurses by the end of 2023, a move Health Minister Ong Ye Kung described as “significant” for replacing those lost to overseas opportunities and expanding the local healthcare workforce. This figure represents about 10 per cent of the current nursing workforce and is 700 more than last year’s intake.
Tackling Nurse Attrition
Speaking at the Tan Chin Tuan Nursing Award ceremony on Nov. 21, Ong highlighted the challenges posed by a competitive global demand for nurses during the pandemic. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has worked to address these issues, announcing earlier this year that over 25,000 nurses would receive special payments equivalent to 1.7 to 2.1 months of their base salary to enhance retention.
Attrition rates have risen, with local nurses in the public sector experiencing a 7.4 per cent attrition rate in 2021, up from 5.4 per cent in 2020. Foreign nurse attrition doubled to 14.8 per cent in the same period. The new recruitment efforts will feature a 60:40 ratio of foreign to local nurses, reflecting the need to replenish numbers slowed by COVID-19 border restrictions.
Bed Wait Times Reduced
Ong also addressed hospital overcrowding, noting improvements in emergency department efficiency. Median wait times for beds have fallen from seven hours two weeks ago to approximately four hours, following the easing of the COVID-19 Omicron XBB wave.
Efforts to further reduce wait times and bed occupancies include expanding Transitional Care Facilities (TCFs) and ending the practice of reserving beds for COVID-19 patients. Ong explained that treating COVID-19 as endemic should extend to hospitals, allowing for the reallocation of resources and alleviating burdens on healthcare staff.
Moving Forward
With a focus on balancing foreign and local manpower pipelines, lightening nurses’ workloads, and optimising hospital resources, these initiatives aim to enhance the resilience of Singapore’s healthcare system while ensuring sustainable care delivery for the population.
