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Apart from a sector-wide definition of what constitutes abuse and harassment, the workgroup is also behind the appointment of Chief Wellness Officers at all Public Healthcare Institutions.
The Tripartite Workgroup for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment of Healthcare Workers (TWG) has released a public report documenting four years of work to prevent abuse and harassment of healthcare workers across Singapore.
The TWG’s term concluded on 30 June 2026, following efforts to establish a sector-wide framework and clear guidelines for healthcare institutions, raise public awareness and foster a culture of respect and safety.
Moving forward, the workgroup will transition into a Community of Practice (COP), which will continue efforts to build a lasting culture of respect and safety across healthcare settings.
The updates were announced by Rahayu Mahzam, Minister of State at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Yishun Community Hospital’s Safety and Security Week.
Titled Standing Together: Prevention of Abuse and Harassment in Healthcare in Singapore, the public report documents the TWG’s work since it was established in 2022.
TWG brought together healthcare stakeholders
The TWG was established in 2022 to spearhead a coordinated national effort, bringing together key stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Health (MOH), public and private healthcare institutions, the community care sector and the Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU).
In 2023, the TWG engaged more than 3,000 healthcare workers and more than 1,500 members of the public through surveys and focus group discussions.
About two in three healthcare workers surveyed reported that they had witnessed or experienced abuse or harassment, with verbal abuse among the most prevalent forms.
Many incidents went unreported at the time, as healthcare workers held back due to unclear reporting channels, fear of repercussions or a belief that such treatment was simply “part of the job”.
Framework sets out common approach to abuse and harassment
The TWG launched the Tripartite Framework for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment in Healthcare in 2023, which has established a common, sector-wide definition of what constitutes abuse and harassment, as well as standardised protocols for how institutions should respond when incidents occur.
Today, all Public Healthcare Institutions (PHIs) have implemented dedicated healthcare worker protection functions, including the appointment of Chief Wellness Officers.
Healthcare workers can take immediate action to protect themselves during an incident, while institutions have the autonomy to act against perpetrators. This includes issuing warnings, removing abusers from premises or discharging abusive patients who do not require urgent medical care.
Between 2023 and 2025, reports of abuse and harassment involving healthcare workers in PHIs doubled from around 2,200 to 4,200 cases. Among these, the number of cases reported to the police increased from 350 to 550 cases. This potentially reflects a growing awareness of what constitutes unacceptable behaviour and greater confidence among healthcare workers to report abuse and harassment.
The Implementation Guide, first introduced for healthcare providers in 2024, was subsequently contextualised for the community care sector in May 2025.
Employers of more than 60% of the community care workforce have since adopted the Implementation Guide.
More than 6,000 healthcare workers have also been trained in advanced de-escalation and self-defence techniques to date.
Basic training is provided to all frontline staff and continues to be part of the onboarding process for new healthcare workers. Comprehensive support, including medical attention, mental health support, time off and reassignment of duties, is provided for affected staff from the moment an incident occurs.
TWG to transition into COP
As the TWG concludes its term, its momentum will be sustained through a COP, which will continue sharing experiences, strengthening capabilities and exchanging best practices to prevent abuse and harassment of healthcare workers.
In its inaugural year, the COP will comprise members from the public healthcare clusters, CCOs, private healthcare providers and HSEU.
The full public report is available here.
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