End of Year Annual Review 2025

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

Just one of the many STCW medical courses in 2025!

So, please join us on our whirlwind recap of 2025 as we get ready for a fabulous 2026…

In 2025 we worked with four STCW training clients around the UK and superyacht clients across Europe. We delivered the most land based and bespoke training that we have ever achieved in a single year!

We delivered STCW medical training at all levels to over 260 students.

We delivered bespoke training to over 130 students onboard and ashore from vessels ranging from Superyachts to Ocean Rowing boats!

We delivered first aid at work or oxygen training to over 70 students, on land and on ships.

January

During January, we were off to a flying start with STCW training courses running most weeks of the month.

Liz headed to Devon to observe a potential new instructor in action.

Rachel was invited to take part in some filming to promote the RL360 Augmented Reality manikin with Ruth Lee.

Liz started her 6th year of running every single day!

The RL360 manikin from Ruth Lee

February

February was a little quieter on the STCW front this year but Rachel spent 2 days at Hamble School of Yachting delivering bespoke training to two incredible ocean rowers, Jess and Miriam from Seas the Day, who were about to embark on an 8,000 mile row across the Pacific from Peru to Australia. 

Liz was a guest speaker talking about leadership in medical emergencies with the BZ Maritime Leadership team. 

We also started working with a new build adventure yacht for a new client.

Bespoke medical training for Seas the Day Ocean Rowing

March

Together with Impact Crew, we spent some time refreshing our mental health workshop course, ‘Stress Happens’ and received accreditation from IAMI Guest to deliver it as their Unit 44, Mental Health and Wellbeing course.

We delivered ‘Stress Happens’ in Livorno.

We also had two STCW courses running at the same time at the same location, putting new instructors through their paces with Rachel there to support.

Rachel undertook training in report writing for medical expert witnesses.

Liz was working on a research project looking at Seafarers Medical certificates.

April

A busy training month with STCW training in four of the five weeks and ‘Stress Happens’ was delivered onboard in Antibes in the other week.

Additionally we had more STCW courses running with an EFA one weekend plus an Oxygen course, delivered onboard over 2 days for a ferry operator.

Bespoke onboard superyacht training was booked and delivered prior to the start of the summer season.

One of many, many early morning flights for the Red Square Medical Team!

May

A combination of STCW and onboard training with one on land and four onboard courses.

Rachel took a short holiday, horse riding in Spain, but keeping a close eye on the Marine Traffic app as two of her friend's sons work on the same vessel, which passed within 10 miles of their location! Also, she didn’t fall off… result!

Liz felt like she lived in Gatwick Airport as she was back and forth to Europe delivering onboard training to more superyacht clients along with some of our other instructors.

June

Halfway through the year and it felt like a bit of a breather with just one STCW course this month. 

But plenty of other work to do with interviews for a cruise ship Nurse position, webinars on prolonged casualty care and drowning, and a strategy day for Liz and Rachel. The strategy day took a look at our previous goals, where we are midway through the year and where we want to get to.  

More work with our Adventure yacht new build, with a yard visit to look at the yachts interior and to work through some storage issues.

July 

The training ramped up again with 3 courses at opposite ends of the country. Rachel travelled to the Isle of Wight to support one instructor teaching the Proficiency in Medical care course for the first time and we delivered online training for a superyacht client to keep them ticking over until the yacht goes back in the water.

One of many trips to the Isle of Wight buy the Red Square Medical Team

August

Most of the UK slows down during the school holidays, but we work in a global industry and STCW training carried on with a flurry of short courses and a couple of longer ones making a total of 9 courses delivered in August. 

We also delivered oxygen training onboard for a ferry operator. Our instructor stayed onboard for a full weekend and delivered training to cover all shifts. 

Liz took a well deserved holiday, leaving Rachel on 24 hours cover - this year Liz was banned from saying ‘But nothing ever happens!’ Of course a few things did happen but it was business as usual for our clients. 

September

The year is flying by and Rachel spent a day at the Emergency Services Show in Birmingham. It was lovely to meet suppliers and contacts, both old and new.  

Training was a little quieter this month with just one STCW course running and some sports first aid courses delivered by one of our great instructors

But plenty of work was going on behind the scenes to make sure our courses are current and our instructors kept up to date with new developments.

Another group of happy students with instructor Dan!

October

October saw three STCW courses running and a first aid at work course for a sports club.

Liz and Rachel attended a 2-day conference for one of our cruise ship clients and it was great to feel fully integrated into this amazing team. It was so interesting to learn more about all of the different areas from engineering to HR, port operations to entertainment, and we both came away buzzing with positive energy.

Liz had a flying visit to two of the cruise ships that we look after and had a very productive time with the onboard Doctors. She also accepted a position as a Trustee for Boats Without Borders, an incredible organisation focused on scalable maritime aid, intelligence, and logistics for island communities after disasters, building on their previous success in hurricane relief.

November

More STCW training with four courses this month. 

We supplied an instructor to teach part of a GWO EFA course and delivered two bespoke courses for Superyachts.

Liz attended the Seafarers Hospital conference up in London, and enjoyed hearing about the amazing work that they have been doing, plus listening to their latest research findings.

December 

We finished the year with… yes, more STCW training, with two courses running in different locations, plus supplying an instructor for a GWO EFA refresher course.

Exciting news too as we welcome a new yacht to our FleetMed Support service and look forward to working with them in 2026.

So that’s it for 2025 and we hope you’ve enjoyed this quick look at everything we’ve done this year. We’re still working over the Christmas and New Year period, supporting our colleagues ashore and working out at sea, and getting ready for an incredibly busy 2026, which starts with a new team member joining us!

Thanks to all our followers for a great 2025 and here’s to an even more fabulous 2026!

The Red Square Medical Team.