| 15 April 2008
SingHealth's Medical Social Workers enhance employability of chronically ill patients
Singapore, 15 April 2008 – SingHealth, in partnership with Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC), is looking to enhance the employability of its chronically ill patients after conducting a study on chronic disease and employability. SingHealth will expand on the CDC’s existing employment programme which aims to job-match the patients with potential employers. The collaboration and the study were announced today in celebration of International Social Workers’ Day.
Mr Zainudin Nordin, Mayor of Central Singapore District said, “The employment programme is one of our many community outreach efforts aimed at assisting the needy. We believe in adopting a ‘many helping hands’ approach and welcome the opportunity to work with corporate partners. We hope that SingHealth’s passion in caring for and helping its patients will inspire others to do more to help those in need."
SingHealth’s study paved the way for more holistic care for patients with chronic illnesses
Together with the SingHealth Centre for Health Services Research (SCHSR), the Medical Social
Workers (MSWs) from SingHealth’s institutions, namely Singapore General Hospital (SGH), National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), National Heart Centre Singapore (NHC) and Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC), conducted a pilot research study on 300 of their patients with chronic illnesses and their difficulties in seeking employment. Most of these patients are Medifund recipients and require some form of social intervention, for instance, assistance with employment, referral to community resources and counseling. This signified a move by the MSWs to go beyond rendering financial assistance and address the larger social issues faced by their patients.
Ms Long Chey May, Head of Medical Social Services at SGH, remarked: “To better meet the evolving needs of our patients, MSWs will increasingly have to address a broader spectrum of social concerns and advocate for services when appropriate. The research study and initiative to help chronically ill patients find jobs are excellent examples of SingHealth MSWs putting patients at the heart of all they do.”
Patients with chronic illnesses usually face a cyclical problem of unemployment, chronic medical issues and financial concerns. The study found a strong link between health and employment – the desire to work drops as health worsens. The top reasons cited by patients for leaving their previous jobs were ‘health’ (over 90%), ‘no energy for work’ (64%) and ‘long/inflexible hours’ (61%).
The study also found that a disproportionate number of patients were dismissed from their jobs (12.2% versus 1.9% from General Health Survey 2005). This prompted the MSWs to conduct a Medical Forum in February to educate employers on the common chronic ailments and to increase their awareness of how they can fit chronically ill people into their organisation. The 18 employers that attended were motivated into considering tapping into this group of people to meet their manpower needs in future.
According to the study, most of the patients (84%) desire to work; with 46% opting for part-time work. Over half of them (54%) have modest salary expectation ($500-$999 per month). The patients also wished that employers would accommodate several special needs such as ‘time off for treatment’ (92%) and ‘excuse from physically taxing tasks’ (81%).
SingHealth MSWs proactively help patients to find jobs and reduce financial burden
The study underscored the need to assist patients with chronic illnesses to gain employment. Therefore, SingHealth initiated a partnership with Central Singapore CDC to job-match employers and SingHealth’s chronically ill patients. The collaboration expands on the CDC’s employment programme which aims to bridge job seekers and potential employers. The MSWs will refer patients who are seeking employment to the CDC, which will then assist to job-match them with potential employers. The programme also provides training opportunities for the patients who can then upgrade their knowledge and skills for better employment prospects. The training is fully sponsored by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA).
(Please refer to Annex for more details on the employment programme.)
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Annex
Details of Central Singapore CDC's employment programme
The CDC’s employment programme aims to bridge job seekers with potential employers who offer jobs in the food and beverage, security, service and logistics sectors. Since the start of the programme last year, the CDC had helped to job-match more than 2500 job seekers.
SingHealth is collaborating with the CDC to extend the employment programme to its chronically ill patients. The MSWs will refer patients who are seeking employment to the CDC, which will then assist to job-match them with potential employers.
The programme has an optional work trial component that allows both the patient and the employer to assess if there is a good job fit. It comprises of a period of work attachment that typically lasts 5 to 7 days. This will enable the patient to gain a greater understanding of the job demands through first-hand experience, which is particularly beneficial for those who have no prior experience in the job. The patient will be given a job trial allowance, which is funded by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), to help defray his or her traveling and meal expenses. The employer benefits from the opportunity to try out the patient at no cost and determine his or her suitability for the job.
The programme also provides training opportunities for the patients who can then upgrade their knowledge and skills for better employment prospects. The training is fully sponsored by WDA.
For media enquiries and interviews, please contact:
Ms Yip Pei Shang
Corporate Communications
Singapore Health Services
DID: 6557 4950
E-mail: yip.pei.shang@singhealth.com.sg
About Central Singapore Community Development Council
Lying at the heart of Singapore, the Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC) serves more than 890,000 residents. It envisions a cohesive, harmonious, self-reliant, vibrant and people-centred Central Singapore District. The Central Singapore CDC works in close partnership with schools, voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs), grassroots organisations (GROs), government and commercial agencies to fulfil its mission of assisting the needy, bonding the people and connecting the community. For more information, visit http://www.centralsingaporecdc.org.sg.
About Singapore Health Services (SingHealth)
SingHealth is the largest healthcare group in Singapore, offering a complete range of multi-disciplinary and integrated medical care. The group consists of 3 Hospitals, 5 National Specialty Centres, and a network of 9 polyclinics. We have a faculty of internationally qualified medical specialists and are also well equipped with advanced diagnostic and treatment medical technology. We are dedicated to providing quality healthcare that is affordable and accessible to our patients. Through clinical excellence, commitment, and collaboration, we aim to be the trusted leader in healthcare for our patients, partners, staff and the community.
Members of the SingHealth group:
Hospitals:
Changi General Hospital, KK Women's and Children's Hospital and Singapore General Hospital
National Specialty Centres:
National Cancer Centre Singapore, National Dental Centre of Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore, National Neuroscience Institute, and Singapore National Eye Centre
SingHealth Polyclinics:
Bedok, Bukit Merah, Geylang, Marine Parade, Outram, Pasir Ris, Queenstown, Sengkang and Tampines
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