Family Medicine is a specialty devoted to comprehensive and continuing health care for people of all ages. It is the cornerstone of healthcare services, adopting a holistic approach based on knowledge of the patient in the context of family and the community. It is a division of primary care, emphasising on disease prevention and health promotion.

Family physicians deliver a wide range of acute, chronic and preventive medical care services. In addition to diagnosing and treating illnesses, they also provide preventive care such as routine checkups, health-risk assessments, immunisation and screening tests, and personalised counselling on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Family physicians also manage chronic illnesses, often coordinating care provided by other subspecialists.

Being first-line doctors, the role of family physicians can be far and wide. Our family physicians attend Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities to keep abreast of the latest medical advances, in order to increase our knowledge, skills and performance as primary care doctors. This enhances our role as effective ‘gatekeepers’ in the provision of good and affordable healthcare services to the community.