It’s 1am, the thermometer says 39.2, and the neighbourhood clinic shut its doors at 5pm. Every parent in Singapore hits this moment eventually: a rash that flares after the polyclinic closes, a toddler vomiting through a Sunday night, a cough that suddenly sounds wrong. In the north-east, a small number of clinics stay open around the clock or close to it. Below is where they are, and how to tell a 24-hour GP visit from an A&E run.
The north-east has several late-night and 24-hour GP clinics, mostly around Serangoon, Hougang and Punggol. Call before you go, since hours change, and expect higher consultation fees after midnight and on public holidays.
For anything that looks serious, breathing trouble, a fit, a limp or unresponsive child, go straight to a children’s A&E or call 995, not a GP.
24-hour and late-night clinics in the north-east
These clinics have run extended or round-the-clock hours in the Serangoon, Hougang and Punggol area. Hours and fees change, so phone ahead, especially late at night and over festive periods when rates differ.
- Lifelink 24 Hours Clinic and Surgery, Serangoon North Avenue 1, open around the clock. Consultation from about $23 in the day, rising through the evening to roughly $85 to $98 in the small hours and on public holidays.
- Central 24-HR Clinic (Hougang), Hougang Avenue 8, part of a well-known 24-hour chain that also has branches elsewhere on the island.
- Silver Cross Family Clinic (Serangoon), Serangoon Central, open long daily hours into the midnight range, not a full 24 hours.
- Other chain branches: the major 24-hour operators, including Central Clinic and similar groups, have additional branches around the north-east and central regions. If you live closer to the expressway exits heading east, it’s worth knowing the 24-hour clinics in the east too. A quick search for “24 hour clinic near me” will show the closest currently open.
Consultation fees at 24-hour clinics rise in bands through the night, and the medicine and any procedures are on top. It’s normal for a midnight visit to cost several times a daytime one, the trade-off for a clinic keeping its lights on.
Finding one open right now
Because hours shift, the fastest way to find an open clinic is live:
- Search “24 hour clinic” plus your area, and call to confirm it’s open before setting off with a sick child.
- The HealthHub app and website list clinics and GPs, useful for finding the nearest.
- Some 24-hour chains list all their branches and current hours on their own websites.
- For a house call, several services now send a doctor to your home at night, which can be worth it with a very unsettled child, though it costs more.
When to skip the GP and go to A&E
A 24-hour GP clinic handles fevers, coughs, mild wheeze, ear pain, stomach upsets, minor cuts and rashes. Some things need a hospital. Take your child straight to a children’s emergency department, or call 995, for:
- Difficulty breathing, fast breathing, or the ribs pulling in with each breath
- A seizure or fit
- Unresponsiveness, extreme drowsiness or floppiness
- A stiff neck with fever, or a rash that doesn’t fade when pressed with a glass
- A baby under three months with a fever
- Persistent vomiting with signs of dehydration, or a badly swollen or deformed limb
- A significant head injury, a deep wound, or a suspected poisoning
Swelling around the lips or eyes with hives after a meal belongs in the same urgent category, so it helps to know what food allergy and anaphylaxis in children can look like before it happens at midnight. With repeated vomiting, the same goes for spotting dehydration early: our guide to stomach bugs and keeping a child hydrated covers what to watch for between clinic visits.
Singapore’s children’s emergency departments are at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the National University Hospital, with general A&E at the other public hospitals. When in doubt about breathing or consciousness, that’s a 995 call, not a drive to a clinic.
Before you rush out
- Call first. Confirm the clinic is open and ask the after-midnight fee.
- Bring the essentials: the child’s health booklet, any regular medicines, and a note of allergies.
- Note when symptoms started and the last dose of any fever medicine, since the doctor will ask.
- For a fever alone in an otherwise alert child, it’s often reasonable to manage overnight with fluids and paracetamol, then see your regular doctor in the morning. Trust your instinct: if the child seems very unwell, get seen.
Common questions
Where are the 24-hour clinics in Singapore’s north-east?
Mostly around Serangoon, Hougang and Punggol. Lifelink in Serangoon North runs 24 hours, Central 24-HR Clinic is in Hougang, and other chain branches operate nearby. Call ahead, as hours change.
How much does a 24-hour clinic cost at night?
Consultation fees rise through the night, from about $23 in the day to roughly $85 to $98 after midnight and on public holidays, with medicine and procedures on top.
Should I go to a 24-hour clinic or A&E?
A 24-hour GP handles fevers, coughs, stomach upsets and minor injuries. Go straight to a children’s A&E or call 995 for breathing trouble, a seizure, an unresponsive child, a non-fading rash, or any fever in a baby under three months.
How do I find a clinic open now?
Search “24 hour clinic” with your area and call to confirm, or use the HealthHub app to find the nearest GP. Some chains list branch hours online, and night house-call services exist.
Where are Singapore’s children’s emergency departments?
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the National University Hospital have children’s emergency departments, with general A&E at the other public hospitals.
Save the number tonight, not at 1am
Take two minutes now, while nobody is sick, and put one north-east 24-hour clinic into your phone contacts. Then call before you drive, because hours and fees shift without notice. A late-night GP will see you through the fevers, coughs and stomach bugs that make up most of these nights. Breathing trouble, a fit, an unresponsive child or a feverish newborn goes to A&E or 995 with no detour. Nobody thinks clearly at 1am with a crying child in their arms, so let your past self do the thinking.
More for sick-child moments
Clinic details change frequently. Always call to confirm hours and fees before travelling, and treat this as a starting list, not a guarantee any clinic is open.
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