Proficiency in Medical Care

The Proficiency for Persons in Charge of Medical Care on Board Ship is a component module for the MCA Master 500 certification. It is a natural progression from the MCA Proficiency in Medical First Aid course, and is designed for anyone who has responsibility for medical care on board. The module will give the candidate knowledge of medical care at sea together with the confidence that will allow them to deal safely with any situation. Food and accommodation are available onsite at UKSA.

Price until January 2026 - Non-residential £875 / Residential £1,095.

Price from February 2026 - Non-residential £910 / Residential £1,130.

Course Structure

Students will cover the following: • Basic Life Support and Automated External Defibrillator • Airway management and oxygen therapy • Trauma assessments and methods of managing blood loss with medication as well as first aid • Patient assessments – taking and interpreting vital signs, conducting a systematic physical examination, and communicating with shoreside medical services • Developing treatment plans to keep a patient stable until definitive medical help can be accessed • Developing care plans to care for someone who is ill or injured onboard for prolonged periods and recognise deterioration and escalate as needed • Wound management to include suturing, skin staples and steristrips • Administering of medications via multiple routes including drawing up and giving injections.

Useful Information

The course is classroom based and contains both theoretical and practical elements.