SINGAPORE'S teaching hospital and main medical school will come under a single banner after more than 20 years as separate entities.

A new governance board will oversee the National University Hospital and the National University of Singapore's School of Medicine, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday.

Modelled after teaching hospitals in the United States, the new structure 'ultimately means better patient care', he said at the launch of the 27ha Admiralty Park, the largest park in the north-west.

He said a single body will achieve greater synergy among the three key functions of a teaching hospital - education of doctors, clinical research and patient care.

Their operating separately would sometimes create conflicts of interest - with doctors caught in the middle, Mr Khaw said.

For instance, while the academic mission of a teaching hospital requires doctors to put out more publications, its service mission emphasises patient care.

Mr Khaw said: 'Different bosses want different things. A merger would make it easier to prioritise resources.'

The structure of the new board has not been finalised as the ministry is still recruiting people to run the merged entity. The board will comprise senior members of the National Healthcare Group, NUS and the health and education ministries.

Under the new structure, greater emphasis will be put on clinical research. Five focus areas have been identified, including cancer, infectious diseases and ophthalmology, said Mr Khaw, who hopes that the work done would take medical technology and treatments further.

More research funds from the Ministry of Health will be made available to the governing board, which will oversee the allocation of financial and human resources, he said.

The remaining funds will continue to come from the Education Ministry.

Speaking to reporters on the change in governance, Mr Khaw said it was a plan many years in the making.

He said: 'There are few teaching hospitals in the region. So we had to shop around abroad for tried and tested examples to ensure that we found the best one.'

But some things will stay unchanged. The hospital will continue to be a member of the National Healthcare Group and continue to benefit from collaborations, patient referrals and shared services. The medical school will continue as part of NUS.

For doctors, the announcement was a highly anticipated one. Said Dr Daniel Goh, who heads the Department of Paediatrics at NUH and NUS: 'The intention is good. A common, streamlined system will help make us much more agile and responsive to changes.'