Co-op doctors and social workers join forces for more seamless care

Three-month pilot will see them collaborate through referrals, co-management of cases

- Chin Soo Fang Senior Correspondent

People in Sengkang and Punggol who visit selected general practitioners (GPs) can soon get followup care from a social worker.

A new partnership between a group of GPs and a social service agency (SSA) will extend care beyond the clinic to the community, so that patients with more complex medical and social needs are better supported.

The three-month pilot, which will run from January to March 2026, will see GPs who are part of GP+ Cooperative's network collaborate with Allkin Singapore's social workers through referrals and co-management of cases.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding that launched the initiative on Dec 11. With the initiative, GP+ doctors will now connect their patients to Allkin's range of services, while Allkin's social workers can refer patients to appropriate medical care within the GP+ network.

A key objective of the tie-up is for patients to benefit from earlier intervention and more seamless care, so that medical conditions are detected and treated before they worsen.

GP+ is a cooperative society that is a member of the Singapore National Cooperative Federation (SNCF). It has more than 120 medical professionals in its network, including family physicians and specialists. Coops are membership-based enterprises that operate on the principles of self-help and mutual assistance, where people voluntarily unite to realise common economic and social needs.