Telemedical Support

Telemedical support provides essential reassurance and advice offshore, and MSOS provides a twenty four hours a day, seven days a week service, direct to UK-based doctors.

When receiving a call from a vessel offshore, medical advice is imparted in the context of the vessels location and prevailing conditions, and the resources and skills on-board. The MSOS team of doctors who provide this advice are all experts in remote medicine, telemedical support and emergency care.

In the event of emergency offshore, the MSOS team will liaise with international search and rescue (SAR) teams, to arrange emergency evacuation if necessary. The SAR teams require accurate information regarding medical resources and skills on the vessel and MSOS are ideally placed to provide that information. In the past, MSOS have coordinated with SAR teams to evacuate casualties from yachts from the Caribbean to the Southern Ocean.

MSOS also organises medical evacuation from all areas of the world, returning injured or unwell crew to their own country for continuing medical care.

Telemedical support can be accessed by telephone (mobile and satellite), text and email. Photographs and video clips are also extremely useful in formulating diagnoses and advising on treatment.

MSOS Telemedical Support contracts include unlimited calls, the reason being that there should be no barrier or hesitation in making that critical call. An early call leads to prompt treatment, which can be life-saving.