AMK Specialist Centre

Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s new two-storey specialist centre in the heart of Ang Mo Kio enables new innovative models of care in the community. We aim to bring a shared care model beyond the hospital into the community, to provide focused care closer to home.

Level 1 houses more than 20 consultation and treatment rooms, a physiotherapy gym, and central pharmacy. This supports holistic care management plans for different patient conditions. Care models within the AMK Specialist Centre include:

1. Pharmacy
2. Endoscopy
3. Community Eye Clinic
4. Trans-disciplinary Diabetes Care
5. Integrated Musculoskeletal Care
6. Community Health Teams
7. Community Audiology

Day Surgery at Level 2 is equipped with Operating Theatre and Endoscopy suites to perform cataract surgery, colonoscopy and gastroscopy procedures. GPs and family physicians can schedule a direct access Endoscopy request for their patients at AMKSC without a specialist consultation.

Pharmacy

Ang Mo Kio Specialist Centre’s Pharmacy primarily serves the Diabetes Mellitus and Eye Care patients being cared for at AMK Specialist Centre.

To enable innovative, future-ready models of care, automation has been introduced in AMK Specialist Centre Pharmacy for the picking, packing, and labelling of medications for dispensing. Home medication delivery is also offered as a default option for patients.

The pharmacists at AMK Specialist Centre are part of the Clinical Diabetes Education team providing trans-disciplinary care for Diabetes Mellitus patients, and run medication reviews and smoking cessation clinics for patients in the community.

Formerly known as NHG 1-Health, our professional team of medical specialists from Tan Tock Seng Hospital continues to provide direct access Endoscopy service for patients at AMK Specialist Centre. We perform colonoscopy and gastroscopy procedures for the upper and lower digestive system designed to cater to the patient’s medical condition and needs.

Since 2010, GPs and family physicians have been able to conveniently schedule a gastroscopy for their own patients at Ang Mo Kio without a specialist consultation. GPs can refer suitable patients with well-controlled medical conditions; the endoscopy report will be sent to the GP or family physician within 5 working days for review with the patient.

Download GP Direct Access Endoscopy Request Form

AMK Specialist Centre aims to right-site new primary eye care services in the community led by trained nurses, optometrists and ophthalmologists.

GPs can now refer their patients with chronic eye conditions to AMK Specialist Centre directly, instead of going through TTSH’s eye clinic. These eye conditions include:

• Blurring of vision of four weeks or more
• Persistent redness of the eyes, which may be coupled with mild pain or ocular discomfort.

Patient’s Journey at AMK Specialist Centre’s Eye Centre

1. Undergo visual acuity and eye diagnostics tests at AMK Specialist Centre
2. Seen either by our clinically-accredited optometrists, or have their images read and assessed by our optometrists or specialist consultants before deciding on the management of their eye condition
3. Upon evaluation that patients are clinically well or stable, patients will then be discharged and referred back to their GPs as part of the continuum of their journey to recovery. 

On top of treatment for stable chronic eye conditions, cataract surgeries and post-surgery reviews are also available at AMK Specialist Centre. These patients will have to be seen at Tan Tock Seng Hospital first for a consultation and pre-admission checks and tests, before going to AMK Specialist Centre for their cataract surgery and one-month post-surgery reviews.

GPs registered under Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) can refer CHAS patients to AMK Specialist Centre for treatment at a subsidised rate, while referrals from other GPs or clinics would render treatment at a private rate.

At AMK Specialist Centre, our trans-disciplinary clinic serves as a one-stop facility to treat diabetes patients of intermediate complexity. In this care model, our team of medical specialists work closely with Clinical Diabetes Educators (CDEs) to provide holistic diabetes education, integrating different disciplines to offer better care for patients.

CDEs are healthcare professionals from various allied health family groups such as Pharmacy, Nutrition & Dietetics, Podiatry, Nursing and Medical Social Work. They are trained to help diabetes patients to achieve their individual care goals.

Clinical Services by CDEs:

• Glucose Monitoring Education
• Insulin Injection Techniques
• Foot Screening & Foot Care Advice
• Clinical Consultation & Review
• Dietary Advice

This suite of customised diabetes services eliminates the need for multiple visits, so that our patients can receive holistic diabetes care with greater convenience. This is further enhanced through telemedicine. After the initial clinic evaluation, follow-ups for selected patients can be performed via telephone consultations and a lengthened interval for physical face-to-face visits.

GPs who refer patients to AMK Specialist Centre’s diabetes care team will continue to have updates on their patients’ conditions, as well as direct access to our team of Endocrinology specialists. This ensures the continuum of patient care between TTSH and GPs. Patients with complex conditions will continue to be seen at TTSH Medical Centre.

GPs registered under Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) can refer CHAS patients to AMK Specialist Centre for treatment at a subsidised rate, while referrals from other GPs or clinics would render treatment at a private rate.

Many types of musculoskeletal (MSK) complaints such as back and knee pain, or neck and hand conditions do not necessarily require surgery and can usually be resolved with therapy

Better Musculoskeletal Care

At AMK Specialist Centre, therapists with advanced practice skills can receive referrals directly from polyclinics or GPs and provide early intervention, reducing unnecessary visits to specialist clinics.

GPs can now refer patients with the following conditions directly to integrated MSK (iMSK) care services at AMK Specialist Centre:

• Osteoarthritis Knee
• Trigger Finger/Thumb
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Non-specific Lower Back Pain
• De Quervain’s Tendosynovitis
• Frozen Shoulder
  
• Ankle Sprain
• Heel Pain
• Achilles Tendon Pain

Building on our shared care philosophy, our Allied Health Professionals will update the referring GPs on patients’ MSK progression to facilitate the GPs’ continued medical management of the patients. For patients requiring more complex medical intervention, our Allied Health Professionals will discuss with the referring GP before escalating to a TTSH specialist, if needed.

The care team accepts both private, and subsidised referrals under Community Health Assistance Scheme (CHAS). Further subsidy can be applied for subsidised referral if patient has the Pioneer Generation Card or Merdeka Generation Card.

Building a Community of Care, where health and social care is integrated, accessible to residents in the community, and systematic in its approach to ensure “last mile” delivery.

Better Integration of Health and Social Care

Comprising a team of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, pharmacists and health coaches, CHT services are catered to a range of needs and includes:

• Wellness and preventive care activities
• Health talks, mass exercises and cooking workshops. View more Community Wellness Programmes here.
• Structured group programmes focused on prevention and management of metabolic syndromes and frailty
• Working with residents and caregivers to develop customized health and lifestyle goals and provide health coaching to help them work towards these goals
• Stabilization of care needs
• Stabilization of medical conditions
• Medication reconciliation and review
• Functional assessments
• Home and environment safety review
• Education and caregiver training to empower residents/ caregivers for self-management in their home
• Case management in collaboration with community partners and primary care partners to coordinate a holistic care plan for residents
• Working with residents/ caregivers and community partners and primary care partners to monitor and delay disease progression

Charges may be applicable depending on the type of service provided. Residents may be required to undergo Ministry of Health’s Means-Testing Framework for subsidies.

At TTSH Ang Mo Kio Specialist Centre (AMKSC), our Audiologists provide basic hearing examination and hearing aid interventions for patients in the community. We have a purpose-built soundproof room for audiological tests, for quick and accurate assessment of hearing issues.

GPs can refer patients with hearing loss as the only symptom directly to AMKSC for assessment, instead of going through a hospital ENT Specialist for the hearing assessment. An audiology report will be sent to the referring GP on the same day, or made available to the patient for collection. Any patients found with complex hearing issues requiring further specialist assessment, can be referred on to the ENT Specialist Outpatient Clinic at TTSH, or referred back to the GP for discussion of future management.

Alternatively, patients can also make their appointments directly with AMKSC.

Download GP Referral Form (180 kb, PDF) Download Patient Self-Referral Form (445 kb, PDF)