Establishment of Allied Health Professions Council
6.—(1) A body called the Allied Health Professions Council is established, which consists of —(a)
the Director‑General of Health, or the representative nominated by the Director‑General of Health and approved by the Minister;[Act 11 of 2023 wef 01/05/2023]
(b)
the Director‑General of Education, or the representative nominated by the Director‑General of Education and approved by the Minister;
(c)
the Registrar; and
(d)
the following persons, each appointed by the Minister:(i)
at least one allied health professional with full registration from each of the prescribed allied health professions who has at least 10 years’ experience in that profession; and
(ii)
2 other persons.
(2) The members appointed under subsection (1)(d) hold office for a term not exceeding 3 years and are eligible for re‑appointment.
(3) The Minister may, at any time, revoke the appointment of any member appointed under subsection (1)(d) without giving any reason.
Functions of Council
7. The functions of the Council are —(a)
to approve or reject applications for registration under this Act and to approve any such applications subject to such conditions and restrictions as it may think fit;
(b)
to issue practising certificates to registered allied health professionals;
(c)
to accredit programmes for, and providers of, the training and assessment of persons seeking to become registered allied health professionals;
(d)
to accredit programmes for, and providers of, the continuing professional education of registered allied health professionals;
(e)
to determine and regulate the standards of practice, competence, conduct and ethics of registered allied health professionals;
(f)
to keep and maintain the registers;
(g)
to coordinate and supervise the activities of the committees and professional boards appointed under section 12; and
(h)
generally to do all such acts, matters and things as are necessary or authorised to be carried out under or for the purposes of this Act.
President of Council
8.—(1) The Minister must appoint one of the members as the president of the Council.
(2) The president is to preside at any meeting of the Council and, in his or her absence, the members present may elect a member to preside at that meeting.
Disqualifications from membership of Council
9.—(1) Despite anything in section 6(1), a person must not, or must not continue to, hold office as a member if —(a)
he or she is not a citizen or a permanent resident of Singapore;
(b)
he or she is an undischarged bankrupt;
(c)
he or she has been convicted in Singapore or elsewhere of any offence involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude or implying a defect in character which makes him or her unfit for his or her profession;
(d)
he or she has been found guilty in Singapore or elsewhere of any improper act or conduct which brings disrepute to his or her profession;
(e)
he or she has been found guilty in Singapore or elsewhere of professional misconduct; or
(f)
for medical reasons, the person is unable to perform his or her duties as a member, as assessed by a medical practitioner.
(2) The Minister may waive the disqualification in subsection (1)(a) in respect of any particular member.
Filling of vacancies
10.—(1) The office of a member becomes vacant if the member —(a)
dies;
(b)
resigns his or her office;
(c)
becomes subject to any of the disqualifications in section 9, unless (in the case of the disqualification in section 9(1)(a)) the Minister has waived the disqualification in respect of the member; or
(d)
has his or her appointment revoked before the expiry of the term for which he or she has been appointed.
(2) The Minister may remove from office any member who is absent without leave of the Council from 3 consecutive meetings of —(a)
the Council;
(b)
any committee of the Council (including a Complaints Committee, a Disciplinary Tribunal, a Health Committee or an Interim Orders Committee) of which he or she is a member; or
(c)
any professional board appointed under section 12 of which he or she is a member.
(3) Any question as to whether a person has ceased to be a member is to be determined by the Minister whose decision is final.
(4) If any vacancy arises among the appointed members, the Minister may appoint a person to fill the vacancy in the manner in which the appointment to the vacant office was made, and that person is to hold office for as long as the member in whose place he or she was appointed would have held office.
(5) No act done by or under the authority of the Council is invalid in consequence of any defect that is afterwards discovered in the appointment or qualification of the members or any of them.
Meetings of Council and payment of members
11.—(1) The Council must meet at such times and places as the president or the Registrar may appoint.
(2) The quorum at every meeting of the Council is one third of the total number of members or 4 members, whichever is the higher; and no business is to be transacted at any meeting unless a quorum is present.
(3) The president or member presiding at any meeting of the Council has an original vote and, in the case of an equality of votes, a casting vote.
(4) Subject to subsection (2), the Council may act despite any vacancy in the membership of the Council.
(5) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Council may regulate its own procedure.
(6) The Council must keep minutes of its proceedings in such form or manner as it thinks fit.
(7) The members of the Council and members of any committee or professional board appointed by the Council (including a Complaints Committee, a Disciplinary Tribunal, a Health Committee and an Interim Orders Committee) are to be paid such fees as may be approved by the Minister.
(8) Where a member mentioned in subsection (7) is an employee, the payment mentioned in that subsection may be made to his or her employer or directly to the member.
Appointment and establishment of committees and professional boards and delegation of powers
12.—(1) The Council may —(a)
appoint one or more committees; and
(b)
with the approval of the Minister, appoint one or more professional boards,
for any general or special purpose which in the opinion of the Council may be better dealt with or managed by a committee or professional board.
(2) The purpose mentioned in subsection (1) includes the making of recommendations on any decision to be made by the Council under this Act.
(3) The Council may also —(a)
delegate to any professional board so appointed any of its powers or functions (other than its power under section 75) relating to the registration of allied health professionals, the accreditation of programmes for the continuing professional education of registered allied health professionals and the training and assessment of persons seeking to be so registered, and the accreditation of providers of such education, training or assessment, with or without restrictions or conditions as the Council thinks fit; and
(b)
delegate to any committee so appointed any of its other powers or functions (except the power of delegation conferred by this subsection and the powers under sections 73 and 75), with or without restrictions or conditions as the Council thinks fit.
(4) The number and term of office of the members of a committee or professional board appointed under this section and the number of those members necessary to form a quorum are to be fixed by the Council.
(5) A committee or professional board appointed under this section may include persons who are not members of the Council.
(6) The Council may continue to exercise any power conferred on it or perform any function under this Act despite the delegation of such power or function under this section.
Source: Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers), © Government of Singapore.
