Guidance

MSN 1841 (M) Amendment 2 maritime labour convention 2006: medical care ship's doctors

Published 24 September 2024

Summary

A medical practitioner, referred to in this notice as a “ship’s doctor”, must be carried on any ship carrying 100 or more persons on an international voyage of 72 hours duration or longer.

This notice sets the qualifying criteria for a medical practitioner to work as a ship’s doctor on a UK ship, as specified under regulation 44 and regulation 47 of the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum Requirements for Seafarers etc.) Regulations 2014.

Amendment 2 clarifies the requirements of a ships doctor and updates references.

1. Introduction/background

1.1 Part 9 of the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum Requirements for Seafarers etc.) Regulations 2014 (“the MLC Minimum Requirements Regulations”) implements for the UK the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 Standard A4.1.4(b) on ship’s doctors.

1.2 The Regulations apply to UK sea-going ships other than:

• pleasure vessels
• fishing vessels
• ships of traditional build
• warships and naval auxiliaries; or
• ships which are not ordinarily engaged in commercial activities

2. Requirement to carry a medical practitioner on a ship

2.1 Regulation 44(1) outlines the duty to carry a medical practitioner onboard. Any UK ship carrying 100 or more persons on an international voyage of 72 hours duration or longer must carry a medical practitioner (referred to in this notice as a “ship’s doctor”).

2.2 There is no provision for the granting of exemptions from the requirement to carry a ship’s doctor.

3. Qualifying criteria for a ship’s doctor on a UK ship

3.1 This section sets out the criteria referred to in the definition of “medical practitioner” for the purposes of regulation 47 of the MLC Minimum Requirements Regulations, both as regards practitioners ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, and those not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom. It is the shipowner’s responsibility to satisfy themselves that any doctor working as a ship’s doctor on their ships complies with these criteria.

3.2 To work as a ship’s doctor on a UK ship, a medical practitioner must be fully registered with the General Medical Council, and:

• 3.2.1 hold a licence to practise;  and

• 3.2.2 have a good command of the English language

3.3 If a doctor is not registered with the UK General Medical Council, they must be fully qualified and registered as a medical practitioner to practice conventional medicine in the country where they are ordinarily resident and work. In addition, the doctor must:

• 3.3.1 be qualified from one of the medical schools listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools;

• 3.3.2 have a good command of the English language; and

• 3.3.3 participate in a programme of ongoing professional education and quality assurance activities that ensures maintenance of their medical skills (see section 3.5).

3.4 A list of medical schools is available on the World Directory of Medical Schools website.

3.5 Medical skills may be maintained by a wide variety of routes, normally by participation in an established framework for medical appraisal and relicensing provided by the person’s statutory medical registration body. Where such a framework does not exist, maintenance of medical skills can be demonstrated by:

3.5.1 taking part in an audited programme of Continuous Professional Development that is recognised by a relevant medical body, and

3.5.2 in a company endorsed system for audit that incudes externally quality assured peer assessment of standards of clinical practice.

4. More information

Seafarer Safety and Health
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Bay 2/17
Spring Place
105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG

Telephone: +44 (0)203 81 72000

Email: mlc@mcga.gov.uk

Website: www.gov.uk/mca

Please note that all addresses and telephone numbers are correct at time of publishing.