Code of conduct & complaints

Medical Examiners listed on the register administered by OEUK are required to:

• Maintain registration as a medical practitioner (i.e. qualified in medicine with an MBChB or MBBS (‘MD’) degree) with their national medical licencing body.
• Inform OEUK without delay if they become subject to any form of professional fitness to practice investigation or disciplinary procedure by their regulating professional body, or if their licence to practice as a doctor is withdrawn by their regulating professional body.
• Immediately cease performing OEUK Medical Assessments and inform OEUK if they have or develop any medical condition, general impairment or disability which may compromise their ability to undertake OEUK Medical Assessments or any aspect of such assessments, including but not limited to adequate exercise of clinical judgment in the assessment, and appropriate communications in the administration of the assessment and associated enquiries from all parties.

Medical Examiners must:

• Conduct themselves generally with integrity, courtesy, and respect for others, including examinees, employer representatives, working colleagues and any other party involved in the medical.
• Avoid any conduct which may adversely affect the reputation of the OEUK medical assessment and/or OEUK.
• Avoid offensive verbal or written comments to examinees or other parties involved in the medical related to gender, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, age, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, or religion or belief.
• Avoid inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact with, and any sexual attention or conduct of a sexual nature towards, examinees or other parties involved in the medical.
• Conduct medical examinations in good faith, and with due regard to the medical interests of the examinee.
• Be cognisant of potential external and internal pressures on their interpretation of OEUK guidelines.

Medical Examiners must:

• Ensure that they possess a copy of the current* medical guidelines on assessment of fitness for offshore work published by OEUK, and follow the guidance set out therein, including any advice on interpretation provided by the OEUK Medical Advisor.
• Have equipment suitable for the accurate measurement of height, weight, and blood pressure, to ensure it is checked for correct functioning periodically, and to ensure that it is only that equipment which is used for the OEUK medicals they perform.
• Have access to facilities to conduct audiometry to standards defined in ISO 8253-1:2010 and British Society of Audiology Recommended Procedure for Pure-tone air-conduction threshold audiometry [August 2018] and ensure that the audiometer is calibrated at least annually.
• Co-operate with the Information and Review Process for examinees described in section 1, paragraph 7 of the current* guidelines.
• Timeously provide, without charge, copies of all relevant medical records and any other information which may reasonably be requested by the OEUK Medical Advisor on receipt of the examinee’s consent to release such information.

*the current guideline is the 6^th Edition (March 2008) & Supplement A, Section 4 (2017) of “Guidelines for Medical Aspects of Fitness For Offshore Work” & “Section 4: Fitness to undertake in‐water EBS training exercises”.

Medical Examiners must:

• Participate in at least one Medical Examiner Quality Seminar in any 2-year period.
• Co-operate with the Conduct of OEUK Medical Examinations Complaints Procedure including any review of their inclusion as a Medical Examiner on the register (for example, in the event of complaint by an examinee), and to timeously provide (anonymised as necessary), without charge, copies of case notes, certificates, and any other documentation as reasonably requested by the OEUK Medical Advisor for this purpose.
• Submit their annual return promptly and pay the annual registration fee electronically.
• Advise OEUK and complete the relevant form if their details or those of their clinic change.
• Not use the OEUK logo (for example, or stationery or publicity materials) without the express written permission of OEUK.