You will be classified as a private patient if any of the following apply:

• You specify the name of the specialist you wish to see or have any other request(s) (e.g. the gender or seniority of the specialist)

• You are self-referred or are referred by a private practitioner or from a private hospital

• You are referred by a restructured hospital where you are a private patient

• If you are a foreign resident or non-resident of Singapore
   

You will be classified as a subsidised patient if any of the following apply:

• You are a Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident and are referred by a polyclinic and you do not specify which specialist you would like to see

• You are referred by a restructured hospital where you are a subsidised patient and you do not specify which specialist you would like to see

• You are a CHAS/PG card holder and are referred by a CHAS doctor

Note: Subsidies are only applicable for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who are not existing private patients for the same medical condition.

The referral process within the public healthcare system in Singapore ensures that patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time. Often patients with less complicated infectious conditions may be successfully treated by their family physician from their local GP clinic or polyclinic, while patients with more serious conditions can be seen by specialists at NCID. Your family physician from the polyclinic or your local GP clinic will be the best person to determine where you should go to receive the right care and whether you need to see an infectious disease specialist.