NEW TENDER APPROACH
He noted that MOH and HDB last month launched a new tender approach for general practitioner (GP) clinics at Bartley Beacon.
In the new approach, quality of care will account for 70 per cent of the tender evaluation, and rental will make up 30 per cent.
The unit is about 100 sq m – twice the size of normal clinics – and suited for clinics which intend to provide multi-disciplinary care and “try out new care models”, he added.
“Through this Price-Quality evaluation Model (PQM), we can shift the competitive focus away from rental rates, to better care models, including preventive care, chronic disease management and mental health,” Mr Ong said.
The tender for the unit at Bartley Beacon was closed on May 29.
“I understand from my MOH officers that we have received interesting proposals, with rental bid prices significantly below the Tampines site in per sqm terms. We are currently assessing the proposals,” he said.
Mr Ong noted the Tampines clinic was tendered in December 2024 and awarded in March this year, before the PQM model started.
“Going forward, and given the encouraging response to the Bartley Beacon site, we will make the new PQM approach the norm, when tendering our GP clinics in our HDB heartlands,” Mr Ong said.
“It will be a meaningful shift, both in improving primary care, and ensuring greater affordability.”
