Given that the risk and impact of disruptions, and the corresponding need for business continuity plans vary based on the business structure, size and services involved, the regulations are not intended to prescribe exactly what licensees should do in developing such plans.

Rather, they are intended as a general obligation for licensees to think about the actions to be taken in case of service disruption, which may again vary depending on the services involved. For instance, in dealing with a power failure, clinics may decide to stop operating, whereas acute hospitals may require the procurement and activation of back-up power sources.

As such, MOH will not provide any templates or SOP, to allow licensees flexibility to decide what is appropriate for their needs. Generally, where the licensee decides to continue with the service, the licensee should consider what needs to be in place for the service to continue despite the disruptions in question.

Compliance with the BCP requirements will be checked as part of the inspection process. While large and complex set-ups (e.g. acute and community hospitals, nursing homes, clinic chains, laboratories) should have documented BCPs, smaller set-ups (e.g. those involving solo practitioners) may not need to do so. Regardless of the need for documentation, licensees must be clear on the actions to be taken in case of service disruption, to ensure continuity of care for the patients.