Injury, illness, and getting help
Mayday, Pan-Pan, and radio medical advice
Grave and imminent danger is a distress call. Medical advice for a serious but not immediately desperate problem is an urgency call to the coastguard, who connect a doctor.
A DSC distress alert is only for grave and imminent danger when you need assistance. Press and hold the distress button until the alert is sent. When you receive an acknowledgement, or after about 15 seconds, give the voice call on channel 16. Include the distress proword, the boat's name, call sign and MMSI, position, what is wrong, what help you need, how many people are on board, and any other useful detail, then listen.
Someone who is not breathing, or who has life-threatening bleeding you cannot control, is in grave and imminent danger. That is a distress call, not a routine chat with a marina. Use high power for distress. Keep watch on channel 16.
For medical advice, MGN 623 tells you to call the coastguard and use the urgency proword: Pan-Pan three times, all stations or the coastguard three times, your boat's name three times, call sign, MMSI, the words 'I require medical advice', then 'over'. The coastguard will move you to a working channel and connect a doctor.
Source: MCA, MGN 623 (M+F) Amendment 1: Telemedical Advice Service (TMAS) for ships at sea
UK telemedical advice is free. The designated providers named in MGN 623 are at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. You do not call those hospitals directly as the first step. The coastguard will want the illness or injury, the type of boat, the next or nearest place you could land the person, your position, and, if you are far offshore, when you might be in helicopter range.
Source: MCA, MGN 623 (M+F) Amendment 1: Telemedical Advice Service (TMAS) for ships at sea
A telemedical assistance service gives decision support when treatment on board cannot wait. IMO describes it as available around the clock, by voice on VHF, MF or HF, or by other means the service uses.
Source: IMO, MSC.1/Circ.1610, Maritime Service 9, Telemedical assistance service
An Italian notice circulated by IMO names the Centro Internazionale Radio Medico (CIRM) as a centre a master may consult while at sea. This lesson does not add a radio frequency or a telephone number for that centre.
CIRM in that notice is the Centro Internazionale Radio Medico. It is not the Comité International Radio-Maritime, a different body that uses the same initials on the IMO list of consultative organisations.
Source: IMO Circular Letter No.4231/Add.9 (Italy), naming the Centro Internazionale Radio Medico (CIRM) IMO, non-governmental organisations in consultative status (Comité International Radio-Maritime)
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Check your understanding
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1. A crew member is unresponsive and not breathing. Which radio priority fits grave and imminent danger?
2. You need a doctor's advice for a serious injury that is not immediately life-threatening. What proword does MGN 623 use?
3. Who do you call first for UK telemedical advice?
4. What should you have ready for the doctor?