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An initial S$100 million tranche will be given to help offset the higher manpower costs.
February 17, 2026, 03:37 PM
About 23,000 staff working in community care organisations could see their annual salaries rise by around 7 per cent or more under revised guidelines set to be introduced by the end of 2026.
To help offset the higher manpower costs, the Ministry of Health (MOH) will provide an initial S$100 million tranche, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Feb. 17, reported The Straits Times and CNA.
He was speaking to reporters during a visit to Alexandra Hospital and St Luke’s Hospital on the first day of Chinese New Year.
Details of the updated salary guidelines will be released in the coming months, with organisations expected to implement the changes by the end of the year, he said.
Community care organisations provide a range of intermediate and long-term services for patients who need continued care after discharge from general hospitals, as well as services such as home nursing and daycare for seniors.
The move follows a separate pay increase of up to 7 per cent for about 63,000 public sector healthcare professionals from July 2025, as part of broader efforts to attract and retain healthcare workers.
Salary adjustment for those in community care sector
National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU) president K. Thanaletchimi said HSEU has always been a close partner of MOH as it regularly reviews healthcare workers’ salaries, including those in the community care sector.
“Healthcare workers in the community care sector bear the same heavy responsibility of providing the best care to patients, as their counterparts in the acute care sector,” she said.
The union has been actively advocating for “better recognition and more competitive wages” in the community care sector, to narrow the salary gap between the community care and acute care sectors, she added.
“Today’s announcement by Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung reflects the progress that HSEU and MOH have made together, with an increase of about 7 per cent or more in the annual total compensation guidelines for most job roles,” she said.
The union encourages all community care organisations to meet the new salary guidelines.
“HSEU will continue to advocate strongly for all healthcare workers, so that they can enjoy meaningful and sustained wage growth, and our healthcare sector remains attractive to talent.”
Top photos from St Luke’s Hospital/Google Photos
