Guidance

How to become a MCA approved doctor

Find out about MCA's recruitment process for approved doctors (ADs).

From:
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Published
6 May 2014
Last updated
1319 March 2024 — See all updates

Overview

This guidance for doctors takes you through:

  • MCA’s general criteria for ADs
  • types of AD
  • how to apply for appointment as an AD

MCA’s recruitment system has been established in agreement with maritime employers and seafarer’s trade union organisations.

It aims to serve the seafarers working on UK vessels, and holding UK Certificates of Competency (CoCs).

MCA is currently recruiting for ADs

  • Minehead to Bude – Closing 15th March 2024.
  • Immingham to Skegness – Closing date 22nd March 2024.
  • Central London – Closing date 29th March 2024.

Criteria for appointment as an AD

The appointment of Approved Doctors to carry out ENG1 seafarer medical examinations is restricted to areas where a demand for at least 50 examinations in a year has been demonstrated.

The most suitable candidate is appointed based on qualifications, experience and location.

The full recruitment procedure is detailed in ‘chapter 2 - the role of an approved doctor’, in MCA’s approved doctor’s manual.

The categories of ADs

General list doctors are:

  • available to all seafarers
  • spread over a wide geographical network
  • mainly appointed on a replacement basis

Vacancies are advertised locally using the local CCG; MCA keeps a file on those who have expressed an interest in becoming an AD. You’ll then be invited to apply to make sure of fair and open competition.

All the applications are reviewed by MCA’s chief medical adviser.

Company doctors are:

  • appointed at the request of companies with vessels on the UK flag, subject to the MCA chief medical adviser’s scrutiny of qualifications and experience
  • only able to do medicals on those employed by the shipping company
  • usually contractors to major shipping companies, or providing services to a ship management or crewing company
  • expected to provide a full occupational medical service for the shipping company

Apply to become an approved doctor

Download the application form to become an approved doctor, then send your completed application to the address on the form.

Speculative applications (meaning those not part of a recruitment process started by MCA) will be notified if a specific vacancy comes up.

The chief medical adviser will review your application, then it’ll be acknowledged by the medical administration team.

Further information

Published 6 May 2014
Last updated 1319 March 2024 + show all updates

  1. Removed - Minehead to Bude – Closing 15th March 2024.

  2. Removed - Dubai and/or Abu Dhabi – Closing 8th March 2024.

  3. Fleetwood trawl removed. Central London trawl added - Closing 29 March 2024.

  4. Immingham to Skegness currently recruiting for ADs closing date 22nd March 2024.

  5. Addition of AD recruiting for Minehead to Bude.

  6. Addition of recruiting for Ads in Dubai and/or Abu Dhabi

  7. Now currently recruiting for AD's - Fleetwood and the surround areas – Closing 1st March 2024

  8. Removal of Isle of Scilly trawl.

  9. Cape Town, South Africa - Closed

  10. Isle of Scilly currently recruiting, closing date 7th February 2024

  11. South coast of Wales, now closed. Cape Town, South Africa open, closing 02/02/2024

  12. Wigtown removed and South Coast of Wales added - Closing 31 Dec 2023

  13. North of the River Tyne removed.

  14. South Lincolnshire removed

  15. Wigtown and South Ayr: Closing Date 10th November 2023 Added.

  16. Addition to MCA is currently recruiting for ADs - North of the River Tyne: Closing Date 3rd November 2023.

  17. Trinidad listing closed. South Lincolnshire added, closing 27th October 2023

  18. Removed Southampton as not currently recruiting.

  19. Added Trinidad in body Text as an area for recruitment.

  20. Removed, South of County Down, Northern Ireland and Wirral and West Cheshire (north), as these closed on 31st July 2023.

  21. Southampton and surround areas added to: MCA is currently recruiting for Ads

  22. Updated to advise of recruitment for approved doctors - Wirral and West Cheshire (north) – closing date 31st July 2023.

  23. Updated to advise of recruitment for approved doctors in South of County Down, Northern Ireland - closing date 31st July 2023

  24. Updated to advise of the recruitment for approved doctors in - South of France, Cannes to Nice (coastal) - closing 16th of  July 2023

  25. Updated to advise of recruitment for MCA approved doctors in Manchester (specifically M60 corridor) closing date 30/06/2023.

  26. Recruiting for ADs now closed, paragraph removed.

  27. Updated to advise of recruitment for approved doctors in the North Scotland and Orkney - closing date 26th May 2023.

  28. Updated to advise of recruitment for approved doctors in the North Scotland and Orkney area - closing date 26th May 2023.

  29. Updated to advise that the MCA are recruiting for approved doctors in the Truro to Par area - closing 12th May 2023.

  30. Updated to advise that MCA are recruiting for approved doctors in Isle of Skye - closing 14th April 2023 and Norfolk and Suffolk - closing dates of the 28th April 2023.

  31. Updated to advise that the MCA are recruiting for approved doctors in the Isle of Skye - closing 14th April 2023.

  32. Updated to advise that the MCA is currently recruiting for ADs in Immingham to Grimsby - closing date 13th March 2023.

  33. Updated to advising of approved doctor recruitment in Shetland, closing 31st January 2023.

  34. Updated to advise of recruitment for approved doctors in Tyne and Wear closing date 13th January 2023.

  35. Updated to advise of recruitment of approved doctors Brixham to Plymouth – closing date 16th December 2022.

  36. Updated MCA recruitment of approved doctors - Central London – closing date 24th November 2022.

  37. The MCA has updated recruitment details for Glasgow and Southampton areas - closing date 6th October 2022.

  38. The MCA is currently recruiting for approved doctors in Wales - closing date 12th September 2022

  39. MCA recruiting for approved doctors in South West Wales - closing date 5th August 2022.

  40. Updated to advise that the MCA is recruiting for approved doctors in Cornwall – St Austell to Falmouth – closing date 10th June 2022 and Isles of Scilly – closing date 10th June 2022.

  41. Updated to notify of recruitment for MCA approved doctors in Aberdeen/ Dundee - closing date 24th April 2022.

  42. Updated approved doctors recruitment in Sussex, extended to the 31st March 2022.

  43. Added recruitment for Sussex & Middlesbrough and removed the closed recruitment in Jersey.

  44. Updated to advise that the MCA is currently recruiting for ADs in Jersey - closing date 21st February 2022.

  45. Updated to advise of recruitment of approved doctors, in Swansea - closing date 9th September 2021.

  46. Shetland AD recruitment now closing 31st August 2021.

  47. Update to notify of recruitment for approved doctors in Shetland - closing 8th August 2021.

  48. To advise of recruitment for approved doctors in Ayr - closing 4th June 2021

  49. Removed recruitment notice for Edinburgh

  50. Update MCA is currently recruiting for approved doctors - Edinburgh - closing date 28th February 2021.

  51. Updated to advise of recruitment for approved doctors in Bristol - closing date 16 November.

  52. Updated to advise of recruitment taking place in Middlesbrough – closing date 22nd October 2020.

  53. Updated to advise of recruitment in Liverpool – closing date 2nd October 2020.

  54. Updated to advise of recruitment for approved doctors in South west Wales – closing date 30th September 2020.

  55. Updated to advise of approved doctor recruitment in London (near mainline railway stations) – closing date 30th September 2020.

  56. Update the MCA is not currently recruiting for approved doctors.

  57. Updated to advise of recruitment taking place in Lowestoft – closing date 24 July 2020.

  58. Updated MCA recruitment for approved doctors - Oban - closing date 7 July 2020.

  59. Updated to advise that recruiting for approved doctors in the Leeds area, closing 12th February 2020.

  60. Updated to advise of recruitment at Lowestoft and surrounding areas – closing date 4th October 2019.

  61. Amended closing dates for recruitment in selected areas

  62. Updated to advise of recruitment in Newlyn and Penzance – closing date 30th August 2019.

  63. Updated to advise of recruitment for Approved Doctors in Benbecula – closing date 26th July 2019.

  64. Updated recruitment for Approved Doctors in Birmingham – closing date 26th July 2019.

  65. Updated to advise of recruitment in Holyhead and Anglesey - closing date 26th July 2019.

  66. Updated recruitment for approved doctors in Exeter – closing date 19th July 2019.

  67. Updated recruitment 21st May 2019.

  68. Updated to advise of recruitment in the Aberdeen area – closing 31st March 2019.

  69. Updated to advise that MCA will be recruiting ADs in Antigua - closing 31st Jan 2019.

  70. Added Manchester Recruitment Campaign

  71. Updated page to advise MCA is recruiting ADs in Birmingham till 7th September 2018.

  72. Updated recruitment taking place in, Birmingham and Caithness till the 13th August.

  73. Updated recruitment for Blackpool and surrounding area – closing date 21 May 2018

  74. Updated recruitment, Cornwall – closing date 21 May 2018

  75. Updated approved doctors recruitment, Southampton – closing date 23 April 2018

  76. Updated to notify of recruitment taking place in Edinburgh – closing date 8 April 2018

  77. Updated AD recruitment section

  78. Updated recruitment; South Coast Devon – closing date 8 December 2017

  79. Recruitment update; Anglesey, Bangor and Holyhead area – closing date 27 October 2017

  80. Updated recruitment: Whitby - closing date 6 October 2017

  81. Updated Recruiting in Middlesbrough area – closing date 15th September 2017

  82. Updated - recruiting in Liverpool, Wirral and Chester area – closing date 6 September 2017

  83. Recruiting update; Portsmouth/Southsea area - closing date 21 July 2017

  84. Recruitment update; Horley Gatwick area - Closing Date 10 July 2017

  85. Updated recruitment; Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Banff and surrounding areas – closing date 21June 2017

  86. Updated recruiting in Aberdeen area - closing date 2 June 2017

  87. Updated recruiting Northern Ireland, Kilkeel and surrounding areas – Closing date 2 June 2017

  88. Updated recruiting Southampton and Surrounding Areas – Closing date 2 June 2017

  89. MCA is recruiting for ADs in St Austell Area - Closing Date 20 January 2017. Immingham vacancy is now closed.

  90. Update recruiting - Immingham Area - Closing Date 15 December 2016

  91. Updated - Bristol area recruitment closed

  92. Doctors vacancy removed

  93. New Approved Doctor vacancy - Bristol area

  94. Added Dartmouth area to current vacancies

  95. Update - recruitment closed in London area.

  96. Update - recruitment closed in Manchester area.

  97. Updated - Southampton area recruitment closed.

  98. Oban and Lancaster/Morecambe trawls removed

  99. Closing date for London updated

  100. New Approved Doctor recruitment area added, Manchester

  101. Update to recruitment areas:; Southampton Area

  102. Closing date for Oban updated

  103. Update to recruitment areas; Lancaster/ Morecambe Area - Closing Date 27 May 2016

  104. New date for recruitment in Orkney

  105. Added details of the vacancy in the Lowestoft area.

  106. Update MCA now recruiting in Glasgow Area - Closing Date 4 March 2016

  107. Updated; No recruitment campaigns at this time.

  108. Updated recruitment; Portsmouth/Southsea Area - Closing Date 27th October 2015

  109. Updated Recruitment: Mallorca to close 8th Nov 2015

  110. Update: Recruitment in Liverpool Area - Closing Date 26th October 2015

  111. No current recruitment campaigns

  112. Holly Head campaign closed 21 August 2015

  113. Trawls at Edinburgh & Grangemouth; and Ipswich now closed.

  114. Update recruitment; London - Closing Date 12 September 2015

  115. Update recruitment of approved doctors; Holyhead - Closing Date 21 August 20152015

  116. Update recruitment; Aberdeen - Closing Date 12 September 2015

  117. Updated MCA approved doctors recruitment - Ipswich - Closing Date 10 August 2015

  118. Updated to include recruitment in Edinburgh and Grangemouth Area

  119. Updated MSN 1822 replaced by MSN 1839

  120. MCA is not currently recruiting approved doctors.

  121. Update Plymouth - Closing Date 15th April 2015 with additional information; Letter to Plymouth Practicitioners 20.03.2015

  122. Updated recruitment; Isle of Wight - Closing Date 31 March 2015

  123. Updated MCA recruitment areas; Liverpool - Closing Date 31 March 2015

  124. Updated Recruiting: Pembrokeshire - Closing Date 6 March 2015

  125. Updated: Currently recruiting approved doctors in Great Yarmouth - Closing Date 6 March 2015

  126. Colchester vacancy date extended 16 12 14

  127. Recruitment campaign for Shetland added 10th December 2014. Two closed campaigns removed.

  128. AD vacancies updated 25 11 14

  129. AD vacancies updated (24 11 14)

  130. AD vacancies updated 12 11 14

  131. AD vacancies updated (16 10 14)

  132. AD vacancies updated (22 09 14)

  133. Update to vacancies (17 09 14)

  134. Updated with AD vacancy details (30/07/14)

  135. Deatils of new AD vacancies added

  136. MCA AD vacancies updated 26 06 14

  137. First published.

Contents