FleetMed Archive Blog

Worse Things Happen at Sea… a salty tale of dysentery, haemorrhoids, accidents, depression and death!

You might wonder about the title of this month’s guest blog, as Worse Things Happen at Sea is also the name of our monthly newsletter. But this month, we’re delighted to introduce Andrew Edwards as…

Rob is one of our longest serving maritime medics and has been dubbed a "legend" by many that have been taught by him, it may well be something to do with his acerbic wit but more likely his vast exerience in many different sectors of the maritime industry.

We asked Rob a few questions about his career and this is what he had to say... What's your day job? Offshore hyperbaric medic looking after saturation divers How long have you been a maritime…

We asked Rachel a few questions to find out what drives her to do all the amazing things she does.....here is what she had to say.

We’re delighted to welcome Rachel Smith to our team. Rachel is a Paramedic, but also a sailor with a very unusual background and we’re looking forward to what she will bring to our fabulous team of…

John Dunn is one of our regular seafarers that does some training and consultancy work for us when he is ashore. Why not read on and find out a bit more about John.....

We did a littel interview style Q&A session with John and he very kindly took the time out of his schedule at sea to give us these answers. Whats your day job? I am an offshore medic . My current…

Mindfulness and reality…

We first wrote about Mindfullness earlier this year in our blog https://www.redsquaremedical.com/mindfulness-the-new-kid-on-the-block and it got us thinking. So, in Mental Health Awareness Week we’ve…

Mindfulness - The New Kid on the Block!

We’ve probably all heard of Mindfulness by now, but don’t you think it’s generally something we joke about, without fully understanding it. It’s still a relatively new concept to most of us and can…

MOI - Mechanism of Injury

Mechanism of injury is a term often bandied around on medical courses, so most people who have ever done a course will be familiar with it. But how much do you really know about it and what does it…

Moving an ill or injured patient

In basic first aid classes, there is great emphasis on not moving a patient under any circumstances. But is this always right? Our Paramedic friends tell us about times they have arrived on scene to…

MSN 1905 - 1 year on - Equipment!

Last week, we took a look at the ‘new’ drugs listed on the M1905 in March 2021. Shipping companies were given until March 2022 to update their medical kits onboard, so this week, we’re taking a look…

MSN1905 - Ships Medical Stores - One year on!

It’s now around a year since the issue of M1905 and we thought it would be a great opportunity to revisit some of the drugs that were added to the list to check your knowledge and make sure that…

New Year or same old same old??

What is it about January the 1st that gets us all ready for change? Ultimately it’s just another day, one step closer to the Ultimate Complexity that both religion and science agree on. Or is it just…

Norway’s Winter Cruise Industry

Norway is well known for its all year round cruises where guests enjoy beautiful summers and winters alike, for different reasons. Our Paramedic trainer, Rachel, recently joined a cruise up the…

Oh Yes! We also provide Operational Support.

And guess what? We love doing it! You might not be aware that in addition to medical training, Red Square Medical offers Operational Support to ships to ensure they are compliant with regulations…

Ouch! When someone asks….are you still clinical?

Let me just clarify something. Right here. Right now. Before I go any further. I. Love. My. Job. Every day I have these wonderful opportunities to work alongside brilliant people and support them to…

Our 5 favourite reasons for unpacking your kit

It is literally like christmas! Boxes and boxes of medical kit. Beautifully packaged. Neat and tidy. Arranged to fill each box optimally. Lists of everything contained in each box including quantity,…

Our 5 top tips for organising your medical maintenance plans

Inventory management can be a real pain in the arse! There are tools to manage them from spreadsheets to online platforms but it would seem that everyone has their own thoughts on how it should be…

Seamless Collaboration

Working with us is straightforward and hassle-free. We start by thoroughly understanding your needs, listening carefully to your specific requirements, and discussing your objectives. Once we have a…

Overboard in Dangerous Seas - A case study

Some time ago, we asked our LinkedIn community about the kind of things they would like to read about with regard to medical care at sea. One comment suggested some scene management around coping…

Paramedic on tour - Simon Lawton heads to Mexico

Back in February 2022, we brought you one of our very first guest blogs from Simon Lawton, a Paramedic who has swapped out his ambulance for a Superyacht! You can read the original blog…

Preparing to go to sea with enough medication...

One issue that has been mentioned frequently during the pandemic is the difficulty in crew receiving a sufficient stock of prescription medications for their time at sea. Running out of medication…

Restart a Heart Week 2021 - A reflection on what we have done...

It was way back in April that the Red Square Medical team first chatted about the idea of doing a couple of events for Restart a Heart Week 2021. It’s something Red Square Medical has supported…

Recreational drugs......Part 1

Following on from this month's newsletter, Worse Things Happen at Sea, we thought we’d take a closer look at some of the recreational drugs that you might encounter, the short and long term effects,…

Recreational drugs.....Part 2

Following on from this month's newsletter, Worse Things Happen at Sea, this is our second blog, taking a closer look at some of the recreational drugs that you might encounter, the short and long…

Red Square Medical – End of Year Review

Reflection is an essential part of medicine and our regular followers will know that every year, we like to take a look back and assess where we started and how far we’ve come over the last 12…

Reflective Practice and why it’s so important

Well, we’ve made it to February! How are your goals for the year going so far? As you’ll know, we do love a bit of goal setting at Red Square Medical HQ. But, we also understand the importance of…

Restart a Heart week - 2021 - Important update

It’s time to get hands on for Restart a Heart Day! From 11-16 October this year, the Resuscitation Council UK is running the annual Restart a Heart Week to promote the importance of bystander CPR in…

Revisiting our brilliant guest bloggers

All the guest blogs! When we started adding blogs to our website back in early 2021, we did a little feature on each of our instructors of the time. They’re quite a fascinating bunch and the series…

Safety of Lives at Sea

Working at sea can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling careers. But you can’t gloss over the fact that it can be dangerous. Whether you’re working on a tanker, ploughing up and down the…

Sailing away and chasing those dreams.......

Preparing for a longer voyage. As sailors, there are so many things to consider before pushing off from the dock. We spend time and money preparing our boats, but little to prepare our minds and…

Sea sickness.....

They say the only real cure for sea sickness (Mal de mer) is to sit under an apple tree… on land… that doesn’t move! Most people who spend time at sea will suffer from sea sickness at some point.…

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

It’s autumn in the UK, a time when the trees turn beautiful shades of red, yellow and orange and thoughts of Halloween, Bonfire night and Christmas abound! It’s a time for chilly walks, hot chocolate…

Show us your smile!

Let’s face it, most people avoid the dentist like the plague and often our only interaction is when we’ve left it a bit late and it becomes an emergency. Working away for long periods makes it even…

Skill Fade - myth or reality?

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘skill fade’, and no doubt joked about it from time to time while we’ve talked about training and putting what we’ve learned into practice on a day to day basis. It’s…

Skin care and Melanoma

We recently found this podcast about skin care, presented by Olympian Shirley Robertson, and we love it! It’s really aimed at pro sailors, but having watched it, we think there’s some very relevant…

Soft tissue injury or potential fracture??

So is it a soft tissue injury or potential fracture? A sprained ankle can be a tricky one to navigate. Check out our guide to assessing severity when onboard a ship. In the medical world, we use a…

STCW First Aid and Medical Training… is it enough?

Is any course enough on its own? Our answer would be that probably they’re not. That said, the STCW First Aid and Medical Care courses are really well designed, with all the essential topics covered…

Stress Happens!

At the time of writing, the Caribbean superyacht season is in full swing and the Mediterranean season is looming just around the corner in a few months time. It can be a stressful time for any crew,…

Superyacht Paramedic - a guest blog from Simon Lawton

We know that an increasing number of Superyachts are making the decision to include a healthcare professional, such as a Paramedic, onboard. So, we asked Simon Lawton, a Paramedic/Deck Hand to give…

Superyacht Toys and Trauma…

Seabobs, eFoils, electric surfboards, jet ski’s, sailboats, inflatable toys, trampolines, submarines, diving, snorkeling, kayaks, wind surfers, fishing/spear fishing, paddleboards… The list goes…

Who are they and what are they?

This week, we’re bringing you a ‘Bonus Blog!’ In addition to our fabulous Guest Blog from the team at Neurodiversatsea, we have some exciting news that we just can’t wait to share with you. This…

February 2021 - Testing the new prototype water rescue manikin

Our Lead Medical Consultant, Liz Baugh, was invited to support the development phases of this prototype training manikin. She has been part of the trials both in a training pool rescue environment…

Red Square Medical - Crew Health partners to the UK P&I Club

Watch this short video to find out how we support the UK P&I Club Crew Health department.... Share Moving an ill or injured patient by Rachel Smith • 26 March 2025 In basic…

How to get involved - joining as a member, following and keeping updated on group activities, testimonials from customers and member companies.

This month, we’ve used our blogs to tell you all about the Superyacht Training Group, how it works, what it does, who the members are, and what the group might be able to do for you! The Superyacht…

Welcome to the third blog in our series about the Superyacht Training Group. This week we are focusing on BZ Maritime Leadership, MRS Training and Rescue, and Clear Blue Sky Video. Our aim is to give you an insight into the background of the Superyacht training group members to help you to better understand the benefit of working together with the member companies.

Tracey and Karl Santrian head up BZ Maritime Leadership and understand that whilst technical ability and skills are important, the greatest risks to superyacht operations are poor leadership,…

Welcome to the forth blog in our series about the Superyacht Training Group. This week we take a look at the background of the final four members of the group, Helidecks, Romeo Foxtrot, Safeguard Helidecks and Submerge. Next week will be a summary of this series of blogs, together with information about joining the group or engaging a member company to help with your training needs.

Helidecks provide tailor-made aviation services to the Superyacht industry and were the first company to deliver MCA accredited training. With services including consultancy for helideck…

Welcome to the second blog in our series about the Superyacht Training Group. This week we take a look at the work of member companies, Red Square Medical, Da Gama Maritime and OceanWave Monaco. Our aim is to give you an insight into the background of the Superyacht training group members to help you to understand the benefit of working together with the group companies.

Red Square Medical specialises in medical training and operational support for the maritime industry, covering the commercial, cruise and Superyacht sectors. Liz Baugh, Lead Medical Consultant was…

Telemedicine - a healthcare professional on the end of the phone

This week’s blog is an introduction to telemedicine as although it’s probably been around for longer than you think, you might not be familiar with what’s available to help you. So whether you’re a…

That Lightbulb Moment!

At Red Square Medical, we’re fascinated by the learning process - it’s key to our business after all. But we often wonder what happens when our students leave the classroom. Do they remember what…

The Bastard Behind the Eyes

a first person account of going through a mental health crisis Depression lurks, Depression skulks, Depression hides in the shadows like a gutter rat waiting for a moment of weakness from its foe.…

The Importance of Sleep… Zzzzzzzzzzzz!!

Without exception, all of the Red Square Medical team have worked rota’s that include nights, long hours or exceptional circumstances that, inevitably, result in extreme fatigue. So, we get it. We…

What you actually need to know about Ebola...

Dr. Jamie Jordan has a special interest in infectious diseases and when we asked him to write about Ebola based on the latest cases found in Uganda. Key information Ebola Virus Disease is an acute,…

The Recovery position - an STCW refresher

Welcome to our December blog, which is all about the recovery position and how to manage an unconscious casualty who is breathing normally. Unconsciousness is a medical emergency as the person is…

The World’s Funniest Medical Jobs EVER!

So we thought as it’s just before Christmas and no one is thinking about work, we’d take a look at some of the funniest jobs that the Red Square Medical team have been to over the years! There were…

Those random acts of kindness and what it did for me that day…..

Recently, I had a busy weekend providing Covid Compliance services at the London Film Festival. During a couple of hours of down time I decided to take a good long walk around the streets of London…

Throat - This is my telephone voice, honest!!

We’ve all been there haven’t we… when our mate who just called can’t stop laughing and making jokes (at your expense!) due to the deep and croaky voice resulting from a sore throat. And we’ve all hit…

Top 10 things to carry in a Remote Medical kit

Earlier this year, we asked some of our followers about what they would recommend as their top 10 items to make up a medical kit. We received some great answers from the lovely folks out there, and…

Travelling for work during a pandemic....

As a frequent traveler for work, I have picked up a tip or 2 along the way that makes my life just that little bit easier. For example, to make the most of space when packing, roll your clothes and…

Tropical diseases...some like it hot (and humid)!

Following on from the latest edition of our monthly newsletter, Worse Things Happen at Sea, this is the second blog taking a closer look at the most common tropical diseases that you might encounter.…

Resus Council UK Guidelines - May 2021

Resuscitation Council UK’s aim is to ‘save lives by developing guidelines, inﬂuencing policy, delivering courses and supporting cutting-edge research’. They’re working towards the day when everyone…

Unconscious on the foredeck

The Foredeck! It’s quite literally a minefield, whatever type of vessel you’re on. You might remember from our earlier blog https://www.redsquaremedical.com/unconsciousness-a-medical-emergency that…

Unconsciousness - a Medical Emergency?

Imagine the scene… it’s late at night and you return to your cabin. On the way, you find a colleague on the floor, unconscious. What do you need to do next? It’s important to remember that…

Updated Triage Tools

In April 2023, NHS England announced that following a review of major incident triage, two new triage tools have been developed and are ready for use. Major Incident Triage Tool - MITT Ten Second…

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) - Let's talk about Pee!

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can affect any part of your urinary tract, including your bladder (cystitis), urethra (urethritis) or kidneys (kidney infection) and… they make up 4% of all onboard…

Vaccinations - a useful overview for seafarers

From Flu jabs to far flung destinations… Vaccinations are a hotly debated topic across the globe, particularly after COVID-19 and the rapid response to the need for a vaccination to help reduce the…

Volunteering with ABSAR

Last week, our Guest Blogger was Jonathan Cornelius from Antigua and Barbuda Search and Rescue. We know that many of you know of the ABSAR Medic Station in Falmouth Harbour, but maybe you aren’t…

We all like a tipple, right?

We recently posted about managing a scenario with an intoxicated casualty, surrounded by a lot of other intoxicated friends, relatives and bystanders, all trying to ‘help’! In that case relating to a…

When a community pulls together to support a stranger found on the side of the road...

Our Lead Medical Consultant, Liz Baugh, wrote this blog post about something she was involved in a couple of weeks ago. I happened across a scene on the side of the road a couple of weeks ago. It was…

What is a Pulmonary Embolism?

In last week’s blog, we took a look at the top 20 causes of chest pain and you can read the blog here: The blog raised a couple of questions about one particular condition, Pulmonary Embolism (PE) as…

What should I do? I train seafarers but I want listen not talk....

My job is so varied. I love it! No two days are ever the same and I really relish the dynamic nature of what I do. Working on a ship sailing through the Suez canal, then a week in Italy providing…

There was no messing about with this drill!

This is Sam Kelly from MSA Dover. Sam is an excellent instructor and seriously enthusiastic about getting the most out of every opportunity. When the opportunity arose for him to run a mandatory…

When is a bruise not just a bruise?

I have a confession to make… Below Deck is my guilty pleasure! There it’s out! Everyone knows! But seriously, this blog has been created in response to an incident I saw on Below Deck Med, where a…

When things go Boom! when you are out sailing...

Common Sailing Injuries This week, we’re taking a closer look at the kind of injuries that are common amongst sailors. Most research in this area involves injuries incurred through competitive…

We wanted to know. So we asked you and here are the results of our June Poll...

We LOVE feedback at Red Square Medical! It helps us to grow and develop. So, we asked our Facebook followers what would they choose to add to a basic first aid course, to make it more suitable for…

Where is Medical Training on your list of priorities?

You might be surprised to hear that you can buy a sail or power boat in the UK and either set sail, or speed off into the sunset with absolutely no boating qualifications at all! We know, it’s…

Who delivers our services

Our team is made up of incredibly talented and passionate medical professionals who truly understand our customers' needs. They possess the enthusiasm, knowledge and skills necessary to provide…

Who loves a medical kit?

I love a medical kit. Don’t judge me for it until you hear why. I specialised in trauma. When someone is screaming in agony and there is blood and vomit and all manner of other injuries to assess…

Who's a Nosey Parker? - Nasal problems

Gosh, where do we start with medical problems that could affect the nose! Well, they come in all shapes and sizes for one, and have a number of descriptive names - snout, muzzle, conk, trunk, beak,…

Why I chose to become involved with the Jubilee Sailing Trust.

Y ou can not look at a beautiful vessel like the SV Tenacious and not fail to be impressed. Any vessel under sail is at the mercy of the weather and learning to use the weather to move a ship like…

Onboard training! We love it and we want to bring it to you!

At Red Square Medical we LOVE training! All of our instructors work or have spent time offshore, and they’re also medical professionals. So, between us, there isn’t much that we haven’t seen or…

Will you just stop procrastinating.....

OK, so I had better explain the iron before you think I have gone mad!! I was supposed to be studying for some major medical exams. It was for a module that I didn't feel very confident…

Women's Health

Women’s health is a huge topic, while it’s true that in the maritime sector women make up just 2% of seafarers at sea, up to 34% of the shore based staff are female. Looking at the bigger picture,…

10 Tips for First Aid at Sea.

If your position on First Aid at sea has always been to let someone else get stuck in, you might need to think again if you’re planning to be more than a couple of miles offshore. Remember that at…

10 typical christmas injuries/illnesses (from my experience)

I love the festive season and everything that goes with it. Mulled wine - tick Chocolate - tick Long walks in cold conditions - absobloodylutely! Seeing family and friends - this goes without…

10 ways my delegates have experienced injuries...

I had the priviledge of being asked to teach STCW Medical First Aid to a room full of delegates from within the Superyacht sector at UKSA recently. They were an excellent bunch of delegates and we…

12 months since I left the NHS - A guest blog by Rachel Smith

What I miss most about the Ambulance Service… It’s been 12 months since I left the Ambulance service after 8 years of working frontline, and to be honest it’s flown by. A few weeks ago the team at…

20 Causes of Chest Pain

Aha you might say. There’s 20 causes of chest pain? 20? Really? The idea for this blog came from a doctor colleague who casually mentioned that there are 20 or more causes of chest pain. So there the…

5 things you should know about controlled drugs

onboard your ship The regulations pertaining to the carriage of Controlled Drugs on board are not always understood by vessels. Usually because they are not familiar with how it is done and are just…

5 tips for getting information out of your patient...

Have you ever sat down with a stranger and found yourself telling them your entire life history, including that ‘one time when you were a teenager…’? Maybe disclosing a piece of information that…

Life at sea during a pandemic

The ramblings of an HSE Offshore Medic You can change a day in the life of a seafarer to a “groundhog day” in the life of a seafarer. The global pandemic has hit almost all of us regardless of who…

A Day in the Life of a Paramedic

The news is full of reports about ambulance delays outside hospitals, and the job I left in January was very different to the job I started 8 years before. I have spent literally hundreds of hours…

And I am back on the ambulances.....

and it was not how I expected it to be. I love medicine. Fact. I love being an Offshore Medic. In fact I would go as far as to say I am seriously passionate about what I do. Looking after seafarers…

Acute Behavioural Disorder (ABD)

We’ve recently been working on an issue of our newsletter ‘Worse Things Happen at Sea’ and a couple of blogs to follow it. The topic is drug use onboard and the follow ups take a closer look at the…

What are your thoughts on advice.....

It has been a while since I put pen to paper (so to speak) to write a blog but I am back and the first thing I should do is apologise for what is to come. By now you are used to reading amazing and…

And it burns, burns, burns.........

Burns and scalds are an ongoing risk out on the water, where the wind and waves seemingly conspire to make it unfathomably tricky to get a quick brew safely! Or when you’re trying to juggle a cuppa…

Beer jackets and what to look out for....

Christmas is coming and the season of parties is upon us. Of course this means that most of us will overindulge in large amounts of luscious food and, of course, a tipple or two. At Red Square…

Baby it's cold outside.........Hypothermia

As the weather warms up in the UK, we’re all looking forward to more daylight and a gradual increase in temperature. So hypothermia is a distant winter worry… isn’t it? But what exactly is…

Back pain

Back pain is widespread in the adult population and the NHS estimates that 80% of adults will suffer from back pain at some time in their life, though it’s rarely a sign of a serious underlying…

Basic Airway Management in an Unconscious Casualty.

In last weeks blog, we took a look at managing an unconscious casualty (https://www.redsquaremedical.com/unconsciousness-a-medical-emergency) and we mentioned the importance of managing their…

Basic Healthcare Knowledge - Don’t Waste a Ribeye on a

Black Eye! We’ve all heard about the current crisis being faced by the Ambulance service, and the wider NHS. Calls to the 999 service are at an all time high and currently exceeding the levels…

Stop the Bleed Month...

Did you know that May is ‘Stop the Bleed’ month? To support ‘Stop the Bleed’, we’re going to take a closer look at blood and how to manage a bleed in this week's blog. Starting with a bit of…