Doctors or General Practitioners (GPs) can refer patients requiring specialist care through 2 types of referrals:
1. Unnamed/General Referral (Subsidized Patient)
A patient is seen as a subsidized patient if he is a Singapore Resident who is referred by a government doctor without reference to a specialist by name.
2. Named/Self Referral (Private Patient)
A patient is seen as a private patient if he is referred to a specialist by name or if he calls the hospital personally for a referral.
All patients on referrals by private doctors or private hospitals and all non-Singapore residents will be treated as private patients.