Office of Professional Affairs (OPA)

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

The Office of Professional Affairs (OPA) is a division under the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (AMS), and comprises the following committees:

BACKGROUND

The AMS receives numerous requests from various authorities or agencies such as MOH, Health Sciences Authority (HSA), Singapore Police Force (SPF), Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore Courts and Coroner, for opinions on professional and clinical practice. Response to each request requires several man-hours of research, discussions and report writing by our Fellows (all these go on quietly and in unheralded fanfare). The number of requests has been growing steadily over the years, and the requests are handled by an increasing number of standing committees. From a professional perspective, handling professional affairs is both an exceptionally meaningful and important aspect of AMS activities.

In 2016, the organisation of the AMS was restructured to reflect the two main trusts of AMS, i.e. education and professional affairs. There is a need for all of us to broaden human qualities and skills, in addition to clinical competencies, in complex or difficult circumstances which form the foundation of professional practice. In this restructuring, most of the standing committees are grouped under the Deanery and the OPA. With the formation of the Deanery and OPA, AMS will continue to work with MOH and the medical schools to help our Fellows develop and enhance these generic and universal professional capabilities so as to effectively deal with the complexity, uncertainty and challenge of contemporary medical practice.

With the creation of the OPA, all the relevant standing committees are brought under one office for coordination and streamlining of activities, so that healthcare in Singapore will benefit, particularly from the professional, quality and safety perspectives.

OFFICE OF
PROFESSIONAL
AFFAIRS
(OPA)
GUIDELINES, ADVISORIES AND CONSENSUS COMMITTEE (GACC)
PROFESSIONALISM AND
ETHICS
COMMITTEE
(PEC)
MEDICAL
EXPERTS
COMMITTEE
(MEC)

OPA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Rank	Name
Director	Dr Benjamin Ng
Honorary Legal Advisors	Mr Edmund J Kronenburg, Managing Partner, Braddell Brothers LLP
	Ms Kuah Boon Theng, Advocate & Solicitor, Legal Clinic LLC
	Mr Lek Siang Pheng, Senior Partner, Dentons Rodyk
Ex-Officio	Dr Khoo Kei Siong, Assistant Master, Administrative Affairs, AMS
Committee Members	A/Prof Alan Ng Wei Kiong, Co-Chairman, Guidelines, Advisories & Consensus(GACC)
	A/Prof Ong Hock Soo, Co-Chairman, Guidelines, Advisories & Consensus (GACC)
	A/Prof Alfred Kow, Co-Chairman, Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGC)
	Dr Bok Chek Wai, Co-Chairman, Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGC)
	Dr Ho Kok Sun, Chairman, Faculty of Medical Experts (FME)
	Prof T. Thirumoorthy, Chairman, Medical Experts Committee (MEC)
	Dr Joseph Sheares, Co-Chairman, Medical Experts Training Committee (METC)

Roles & Responsibilities

The roles and responsibilities of the OPA are to:

set the policies and procedures for professional affair matters
provide advice on clinical practice guidelines
advise medical professional bodies on new technologies, and the development of specialties and subspecialties
provide recommendations to the Ministry of Health (MOH) on the associated policies and procedures governing the adoption of new technologies and the practice of new specialties and subspecialties
generate and disseminate information and knowledge to the public on matters related to health
provide independent medical expert opinions and reports
assist in the verification of foreign visiting medical experts

Composition & Appointment of Committee

The Director of the OPA shall be an AMS Fellow and be appointed by the AMS Council for a term of five years, to ensure good planning and continuity of direction. The role of the Director is to ensure direction and purpose in all professional affairs activities, and help to drive the various committees accordingly. The Director reports to the AMS Council. The Director also chairs the OPA Committee which includes the Assistant Master (Administrative Affairs), and the Chairpersons and Co-Chairpersons of each of the committees under the OPA. The OPA Committee assists the Director in setting the policies and procedures for professional affairs matters, streamlining the processes and framework, and developing strategies and medium-to-long term plans for the OPA.

The Chairperson for each of the committees shall be an AMS Fellow and be appointed by the AMS Council for a term of two years. The AMS Council can also appoint up to two Vice Chairpersons who shall be AMS Fellows, for each of the committees for a term of two years. The members of each of the committees shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the respective committees with the endorsement of Director of the OPA, and shall comprise Fellows from the Colleges and Chapters who have the relevant experience and knowledge to support the working of the committees.

Opinions, Advisories and Consensus Committee (OACC)

Rank	Name
Co-Chairmen	A/Prof Alan Ng Wei Kiong, Co-Chairman, Guidelines, Consensus & Advisories (GACC)
	A/Prof Ong Hock Soo, Co-Chairman, Guidelines, Consensus & Advisories (GACC)

Roles & Responsibilities for OACC

The roles and responsibilities of the OACC are to:

Provide professional opinions and recommendations (such as professional standards, adoption and utilisation of new technologies, development and practice of specialties and subspecialties) to MOH and other agencies (e.g. HSA, MOM, Singapore Police Force).
Produce Consensus Statements and Position Papers on topics and issues on request or when relevant (e.g. AMS website, newspaper forum).
Provide verification of visiting experts for request from the Singapore Medical Council (SMC).

Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee (CPGC)

Rank	Name
Co-Chairmen	A/Prof Alfred Kow, Co-Chairman, Guidelines, Advisories & Consensus (GACC)
	Dr Bok Chek Wai, Co-Chairman, Guidelines, Advisories & Consensus (GACC)

Roles & Responsibilities for CPGC

The roles and responsibilities of the CPGC are to:

Develop Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on request from or in collaboration with MOH, and for the AMS.

Professionalism and Ethics Committee (PEC)

Rank	Name
Chairman	TBA
	TBA

Roles & Responsibilities for PEC

The roles and responsibilities of the PEC are to:

Provide opinions and recommendations to MOH and other external stakeholders on medical professionalism and ethics.
Be a resource for Fellows who seek advice on issues relating to medical professionalism and ethics.
Assist committees/workgroups formed by the AMS to develop the curriculum, training programmes and continuing medical education modules to equip doctors and dentists with the knowledge and skills relating to medical professionalism, ethics and organisational ethics.
Assist these committee/workgroups to plan, organize and conduct these training programmes and CME modules.
Monitor these training programmes and CME modules.

SRS Ethics Committee

Rank	Name
Chairman	Dr T Thirumoorthy
Members	Dr Jason Yap
	Dr Soh Teck Hwee
	Dr Vishalkumar
	Dr Jayant
	Dr Tay Ee Guan
	Dr Ong Eng Choon
	Dr Shahla Siddiqui

Roles & Responsibilities for SRS Ethics Committee

The SRS Ethics Committee shall:

Develop the curriculum and training programmes to equip SRS trainees with the knowledge and skills relating to medical professionalism and ethics.
Plan, organise, conduct and monitor these training programmes.

Organisational Ethics Workgroup

Rank	Name
Chairman	Dr Benjamin Ng
Members	Dr Sayampanathan
	Dr Jeremy Lim
	Ms Sumytra Menon
	Mr Wu Tuck Seng

Roles & Responsibilities for the Organizational Ethics Workgroup

The Organisational Ethics Workgroup shall:

Develop the curriculum and training programmes to equip doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills relating to organisational ethics in collaboration with the National Ethics Capability Committee (NECC) and MOH.
Plan, organise, conduct and monitor these training programmes in collaboration with NECC and MOH.
Collaborate with other medical and healthcare professional organisations in the development and training in organisational ethics in collaboration with NECC and MOH.

Ethics and Professionalism Course Committee

Rank	Name
Chairman	TBA
	TBA

Roles & Responsibilities for Ethics & Professionalism Course Committee

The Ethics and Professionalism Course Committee shall:

Develop the curriculum and training programmes to equip doctors and dentists with the general knowledge and skills relating to medical professionalism and ethics.
Plan, organise, conduct and monitor these training programmes.
Collaborate with other medical organisations in the development and training in medical professionalism and ethics.

Medical Experts Training Committee (METC)

Rank	Name
Co-Chairmen	Dr T Thirumoorthy
	Dr Joseph Sheares
Members	Dr Ho Kok Sun
	Dr Khoo Kei Siong
	Dr Boey Wah Keong
	Dr Tan Yew Oo
	Dr Seow Wan Tew
	Dr Lee See Muah
	Dr Lee See Muah
	Dr Cuthbert Teo
	Dr Marian Wang

Roles & Responsibilities for METC

The roles and responsibilities of the METC are to:

Develop the curriculum, training programmes and continuing medical education (CME) modules to equip medical and dental specialists with the knowledge and skills to provide competent medical expert opinions or assessments in medicolegal cases involving the Coroner’s Court, State Courts or SMC Disciplinary Tribunal.
Plan, organize, conduct and monitor these training programmes and CME modules.
Collaborate with other medical and non-medical organizations in developing and training medical experts.
Support the Faculty of Medical Experts in maintaining the knowledge and skills of the Faculty members through continuing medical education.

Faculty of Medical Experts (FME)

Rank	Name
Chairman	Dr Ho Kok Sun
Advisors	Dr Alan Ng Wei Keong
	Dr T Thirumoorthy

Roles & Responsibilities for FME

The roles and responsibilities of the FME are to:

Collate and manage a database/registry of medical experts who are willing to be assigned by the Academy to be medical experts.
Collaborate with the Colleges and Chapters to ensure each specialty and sub-specialty have an adequate pool of medical experts who have attended a recognised training programme.
Collaborate with other medical and non-medical organizations in developing and supporting medical experts.
Recommend appropriate Faculty members for request to provide competent medical expert opinions or assessments in medicolegal cases involving the Coroner’s Court, State Courts or SMC Disciplinary Tribunal, through the provision of medical expert reports, testimonies and evidence, or as an appointed medical assessor.

Medical Expert Witness Training 2019
4 May 2019

Day 1:4 May 2019

Academia
20 College Road
Singapore 169856

Day 2:29 June 2019
Day 3:6 July 2019

Family Justice Courts
3 Havelock Square
Singapore 059725

Request for Professional Opinion from AMS, Colleges & Chapters

For all Professional Opinion requests matters, please write in to the following:

Address to: Master, Academy of Medicine, Singapore
Email: master(@)ams.edu.sg

Request for Independent Medical Expert Report

To request for an independent medical expert opinion report for Coroner's Cases, please contact:

DID: 6593 7884
Email: roland_lim(@)ams.edu.sg

For more information, please contact the Office of Professional Affairs at

DID: 6593 7885
Email: syairah(@)ams.edu.sg

Office of Professional Affairs (OPA)
Academy of Medicine, Singapore
Level 12, NKF Centre
81 Kim Keat Road, Singapore 328836