SINGAPORE: A proposed medical tower at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) is expected to add about 600 acute beds and have an expanded emergency department, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung announced on Tuesday (Sep 9).
The project, slated for completion sometime beyond 2030, forms part of the next phase of the HealthCity Novena Master Plan. It is intended to boost healthcare capacity, strengthen frailty-ready care, and improve access and clinical care outcomes for 1.5 million residents in central and northern Singapore.
TTSH, which sits within mature housing estates, already serves a population with a higher proportion of seniors than the national average.
In 2023, the hospital's inpatients aged 65 and above were 1.5 times that of the national norm for males and 2.2 times for females, NHG Health said.
As more residents are expected to undergo preventive screening, those with newly detected or complex chronic conditions will also need timely intervention.
The proposed expansion aims to improve access to specialist care across NHG Health's network of specialists, reduce wait times and smooth the transition between primary, tertiary and community care.
To facilitate the building of the proposed TTSH medical tower, existing specialist outpatient clinics, laboratories and offices from the CDC 2 and Annex 2 buildings will be moved to a temporary facility at the former pavilion wards.
Once the second phase of the HealthCity Novena Master Plan is completed, there will be three spaces in the TTSH campus: the Specialist, Community and Future HealthSpaces, Mr Ong said.
"The HealthCity Novena Master Plan is not just about the transformation of TTSH, but also the evolution of healthcare in Singapore."
An artist's impression of the view of HealthCity Novena from Moulmein Road. (Photo: Tan Tock Seng Hospital)
One of Singapore’s busiest emergency hospitals, TTSH is also studying relocating its emergency department to the proposed tower amid a higher volume of such patients. The department has managed more than 125,000 cases annually over the past three years.
Last year, about 40 per cent of patients at the hospital’s emergency department were aged 65 and above, up from about 30 per cent five years ago.
TTSH will review the workflows at the new emergency department to allow faster triage and care coordination, and minimise unnecessary patient transfers.
“For instance, urgent but non-critical cases can go directly to operating theatres for swift intervention and be discharged after short monitoring – without the need for admission,” NHG Health said.
Adjunct Professor Tang Kong Choong, CEO of TTSH, noted that the proposed tower will also house new operating theatres, procedural suites and specialist outpatient clinics.
"But just building more of the same will not be enough. We will be designing smart and thoughtful capacity that will anticipate and address challenges of a greying population, support the workforce and improve healthcare outcomes," he added.
A nurse introduces smart devices to a patient in the smart ward at Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Sep 9, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Tan Wen Lin)
To manage rising demand in hospital admissions and surgical procedures, TTSH will expand its Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols to promote faster and safer recovery and shorter hospital stays.
Between 2020 and 2024, the hospital saw an average 5 per cent annual increase in admissions and outpatient visits, alongside an average 10 per cent yearly growth in surgical procedures.
Last year, the hospital performed more than 100,000 procedures, and demand is expected to rise due to the country’s ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases.
TTSH also intends to explore more surgical options for seniors through less invasive surgical options or interventional radiological methods to reduce risk and speed up recovery.
Beyond surgical care, the hospital is also looking at supporting a broad range of medical specialties through the proposed medical tower.
This includes possibly expanding its nurse-led ambulatory care model for certain medical cases like infusions and radiological procedures to be discharged earlier, rather than a typical two-day inpatient stay.
A nurse looks at the patient monitoring system in the smart ward at Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Sep 9, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Tan Wen Lin)
As for digital transformation, the proposed medical tower at TTSH will integrate smart technologies to enhance care delivery, better support Singapore's ageing population, and empower a mature healthcare workforce.
“TTSH will also explore innovative solutions that optimise workflows and reduce physical strain on staff, allowing care teams to focus on delivering high-value, person-centred care,” NHG Health said.
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The project, slated for completion sometime beyond 2030, forms part of the next phase of the HealthCity Novena Master Plan. It is intended to boost healthcare capacity, strengthen frailty-ready care, and improve access and clinical care outcomes for 1.5 million residents in central and northern Singapore.
TTSH, which sits within mature housing estates, already serves a population with a higher proportion of seniors than the national average.
In 2023, the hospital's inpatients aged 65 and above were 1.5 times that of the national norm for males and 2.2 times for females, NHG Health said.
As more residents are expected to undergo preventive screening, those with newly detected or complex chronic conditions will also need timely intervention.
The proposed expansion aims to improve access to specialist care across NHG Health's network of specialists, reduce wait times and smooth the transition between primary, tertiary and community care.
To facilitate the building of the proposed TTSH medical tower, existing specialist outpatient clinics, laboratories and offices from the CDC 2 and Annex 2 buildings will be moved to a temporary facility at the former pavilion wards.
Once the second phase of the HealthCity Novena Master Plan is completed, there will be three spaces in the TTSH campus: the Specialist, Community and Future HealthSpaces, Mr Ong said.
"The HealthCity Novena Master Plan is not just about the transformation of TTSH, but also the evolution of healthcare in Singapore."
An artist's impression of the view of HealthCity Novena from Moulmein Road. (Photo: Tan Tock Seng Hospital)
IMPROVING EMERGENCY CARE
One of Singapore’s busiest emergency hospitals, TTSH is also studying relocating its emergency department to the proposed tower amid a higher volume of such patients. The department has managed more than 125,000 cases annually over the past three years.
Last year, about 40 per cent of patients at the hospital’s emergency department were aged 65 and above, up from about 30 per cent five years ago.
TTSH will review the workflows at the new emergency department to allow faster triage and care coordination, and minimise unnecessary patient transfers.
“For instance, urgent but non-critical cases can go directly to operating theatres for swift intervention and be discharged after short monitoring – without the need for admission,” NHG Health said.
Adjunct Professor Tang Kong Choong, CEO of TTSH, noted that the proposed tower will also house new operating theatres, procedural suites and specialist outpatient clinics.
"But just building more of the same will not be enough. We will be designing smart and thoughtful capacity that will anticipate and address challenges of a greying population, support the workforce and improve healthcare outcomes," he added.
A nurse introduces smart devices to a patient in the smart ward at Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Sep 9, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Tan Wen Lin)
ENHANCED RECOVERY AFTER SURGERY
To manage rising demand in hospital admissions and surgical procedures, TTSH will expand its Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols to promote faster and safer recovery and shorter hospital stays.
Between 2020 and 2024, the hospital saw an average 5 per cent annual increase in admissions and outpatient visits, alongside an average 10 per cent yearly growth in surgical procedures.
Last year, the hospital performed more than 100,000 procedures, and demand is expected to rise due to the country’s ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases.
TTSH also intends to explore more surgical options for seniors through less invasive surgical options or interventional radiological methods to reduce risk and speed up recovery.
Beyond surgical care, the hospital is also looking at supporting a broad range of medical specialties through the proposed medical tower.
This includes possibly expanding its nurse-led ambulatory care model for certain medical cases like infusions and radiological procedures to be discharged earlier, rather than a typical two-day inpatient stay.
A nurse looks at the patient monitoring system in the smart ward at Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Sep 9, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Tan Wen Lin)
As for digital transformation, the proposed medical tower at TTSH will integrate smart technologies to enhance care delivery, better support Singapore's ageing population, and empower a mature healthcare workforce.
“TTSH will also explore innovative solutions that optimise workflows and reduce physical strain on staff, allowing care teams to focus on delivering high-value, person-centred care,” NHG Health said.
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