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NUHS celebrates Caregivers’ Day 2025 with a transformative partnership to collaborate with patients and community to co-create the future of healthcare at TGCH

SINGAPORE — At its annual Caregivers’ Day, the National University Health System (NUHS) honoured the extraordinary contributions of caregivers, celebrating their resilience, hard work and devotion in caring for their loved ones. The special day, graced by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, and Ministry of Transport, was filled with heartfelt tributes and activities to empower and support caregivers and their families.

Partnering patients and community stakeholders to co-create TGCH

During the event, a transformative partnership was launched to plan and design the new Tengah General and Community Hospital (TGCH) as a hospital that is developed ‘with the people, by the people and for the people’. The TGCH campus, set to open its doors in early 2030s, will provide a comprehensive range of clinical specialties and healthcare services including emergency, inpatient, rehabilitative and outpatient specialist care.

Known as the Patient and Family Advocacy Council at TGCH, the partnership invites individuals who are patients, caregivers, patient advocates and residents of the Tengah district to play an active role in the planning of TGCH. Harnessing the unique strengths, experiences and perspectives of these stakeholders, the partnership will tap on and integrate their feedback, in critical areas such as patient care practices, hospital design and services, feedback channels, community health education and family support programmes.

Associate Professor Victor Koh, Project Lead and Deputy Chairman, Hospital Planning Committee, TGCH said: “We are expanding beyond our engagements with patients to include caregivers and residents at Tengah who are also integral partners in our community. We want to involve them in our planning journey from the onset, to focus our efforts where they matter most to our patients; avoid blind spots; and co-create a healthcare facility that is aligned with community needs. Ultimately, we want to deliver better patient experience and health outcomes, while fostering an innovative and rewarding workplace culture. With this goal in mind, we look forward to involving the members of this programme in an equal partnership during the hospital planning stage, and as co-leaders in various quality improvement projects after our campus is operational.”   

The Council currently comprises two core members: a patient at NUHS and an active caregiver advocate. Plans are underway to expand the Council to include more representatives in mid-2025, with community consultations and engagement set to begin over the next few months. More details of the Council’s current members can be found in Annex A. 

Honouring caregivers for their unwavering dedication 

Another key event highlight was the NUHS Caregiver Appreciation Ceremony, which pays tribute to all of our caregivers who play a vital role in providing care to their loved ones. This year, the event honoured 19 caregivers - parents, spouses and children of NUHS patients - who represented the remarkable strength and compassion of the caregiving community. 

“Caregivers are the unsung partners of our healthcare system,” said Ms Soh Lai Yee, Group Chief Patient Officer, NUHS. “They shoulder immense responsibilities and are vital to the continuum of care, from overseeing daily care to advocating for their loved ones’ needs to the medical team, all of which they take on stoically and with tenacity. Their stories of love, dedication and resilience have been inspiring and have strengthened our resolve to deliver better care for our patients and their families.”

To download the PDF version of the media release, click here.