The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has published new guidance that names medical practitioners able to carry out independent reviews of fitness-for-work decisions affecting seafarers.
The document, titled Guidance: List of independent medical referees who review fitness to work, was released by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency on 8 September 2026. It sets out a register of independent medical referees available to undertake reviews where a seafarer requests a reassessment of a fitness determination.
The list is intended to provide an external avenue for review when a seafarer disputes a decision about their medical fitness to work at sea. The guidance describes the role of the referees as independent medical professionals who examine cases referred to them for an impartial clinical opinion.
The publication is of direct relevance to seafarers who consider a previous fitness decision to be incorrect and wish to seek independent scrutiny. Employers, ship operators and maritime medical practitioners will also find the register pertinent when advising seafarers on how to pursue a formal review.
The guidance has been made available on the government’s official publication platform and is presented as a practical resource to inform seafarers of where they may apply for an independent assessment. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency supplies the list as part of its wider remit to regulate and advise on maritime safety and seafarer welfare.
Scope and purpose
The list does not itself change medical standards or the statutory criteria used to determine fitness for work at sea. Rather, it identifies clinicians whom the Agency recognises as able to provide an independent medical opinion when a review is requested.
By naming referees, the Agency aims to increase transparency around the review process and to ensure seafarers have access to qualified medical practitioners outside the original assessing body. The guidance is principally procedural: it signals where independent clinical expertise can be sought but does not set new clinical thresholds.
What seafarers should know
A seafarer who disputes a fitness decision can use the register to identify a medical referee to perform an independent review. The guidance is designed to support those who need an impartial reassessment and to clarify which clinicians are available to act in that capacity.
The publication by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency should be read as a directory of named medical referees for independent review requests rather than as a substitute for the initial medical assessment process. Seafarers and employers should consult the guidance for the names and details of referees and for any procedural notes the Agency includes about initiating a review.
The Agency’s release of the guidance on 8 September 2026 provides a formal point of reference for handling disputes over medical fitness to work at sea. For seafarers seeking to challenge a decision, the register represents a route to an independent clinical opinion through recognised medical referees.