Complaints against registered Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners

Things to note prior to submitting a complaint

Any complaint against a registered person in connection with any of the following matters (specified in section 19(1) of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Act 2000) should be submitted in writing:

That a registered person

1. has obtained his registration by a fraudulent or incorrect statement;

2. has had any of his qualifications by virtue of which he was registered withdrawn or cancelled by the authority through which it was acquired or by which it was awarded;

3. has had his registration in any other country for the practice of traditional Chinese medicine, or for the prescribed practice of traditional Chinese medicine to which the registration relates, withdrawn, suspended or cancelled;

4. has ceased to carry on the prescribed practice of traditional Chinese medicine for which he is registered;

5. has failed to comply with any condition to which his registration is subject;

6. has contravened any regulation made under this Act relating to the practice and conduct of registered persons that applies to him;

7. has been convicted of an offence in Singapore or elsewhere involving fraud or dishonesty;

8. has been convicted of an offence in Singapore or elsewhere implying a defect in character which renders him unfit to remain on the Register;

9. has been guilty of any professional misconduct or negligence;

10. has failed to comply with the Board’s order to give an undertaking, failed to pay a financial penalty, failed to comply with the order to be referred for mediation or any order of the Board under Section 19 (2)(c), (d) or (g) of the Act;

11. has been guilty of any improper act or conduct which renders him unfit to remain on the Register; or

12. is unable to carry out the prescribed practice of traditional Chinese medicine for which he is registered safely or effectively by reason of a mental or physical condition.

Submitting a complaint

Where the complaint relates to any matter referred to in (5), (6), (9), (11) or (12) above, the complaint should be supported by a statutory declaration which shall state:

• the name, address, and occupation of the complainant;

• the grounds of the complaint; and

• the evidence supporting the complaint.

You can download the Statutory Declaration Form and Instructions [PDF, 98 KB] and Guidance note on information and details to provide in a complaint letter [PDF, 705 KB].

The complainant must state the full facts of his case and his allegations clearly in his letter of complaint against any registered TCM practitioner.

What happens next?

The Board may appoint an Inquiry Committee to investigate into a complaint made against a registered TCM practitioner. The Inquiry Committee may conduct formal inquiry on the complaint against a registered TCM practitioner and submit its inquiry report and recommendations to the Board.

The Board shall inform the TCM practitioner and the complainant of the outcome of their inquiry when it is completed.

Under section 19(2) of the Traditional Medicine Practitioners Act, the Board, upon considering the complaint, may cancel the registration of the registered person.

Where a registered person is liable to have his or her registration cancelled on any of the grounds referred to in (5) to (11) above, the Board may, instead of cancelling the registered person’s registration, take one or more of the following measures:

• caution or censure the registered person;

• issue a letter of advice to the registered person;

• order the registered person to give an undertaking, on such terms as the Board thinks fit, to abstain from the conduct that is the subject of a complaint against, or information about, the registered person under section 26B;

• order the registered person to pay:

  • a penalty not exceeding $10,000; or

  • a penalty not exceeding $50,000, if the act or omission that is the subject of the complaint or information occurred on or after 1 April 2020;

• alter the registered person’s class of registration;

• modify the conditions of the registration of the registered person for a period not exceeding 3 years;

• order that the complaint against, or information about, the registered person under section 26B be referred for mediation between the registered person and the person who made the complaint or provided the information (called the complainant), including ordering:

  • the personal attendance of the registered person and the complainant before a mediator specified by the Board; and

  • the registered person to supply a report of the outcome of that mediation by the mediator mentioned in the previous point to the Board;

• suspend the registration of the registered person for a period not exceeding 3 years.

Any person who is aggrieved by a decision of the Board under section 19 (1), (2) or (3) of the Act may, appeal to the High Court against the decision within 30 days of the date of the decision. The decision of the High Court shall be final.

Case studies of complaint cases

• Case studies of complaint cases handled by TCM Practitioners Board (Eng) [PDF, 364 KB]