Dreadnought Medical Service

Our ref: HSR

Head Office Circular NP/034/25

26^th January 2025

To: The Secretary

ALL BRANCHES

REGIONAL COUNCILS

 

Dear Colleague

 

DREADNOUGHT MEDICAL SERVICE

 

The Dreadnought Medical Service is a medical service for seafarers (and, in some cases, wives, husbands and children) based at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital in London: 

 

It is not a separate unit in the hospital — patients are treated in whatever ward or facility is best suited to their needs.

 

The Dreadnought was one of the original hospital ships set up by the Seafarers Hospital Society on the Thames at Greenwich after the Napoleonic wars.

 

That was 200 years ago. We still call it the Dreadnought Medical Service, but these days it is part of the NHS and operates onshore rather than offshore.

 

In recent months we have been made aware of seafarers who reside in the North of Ireland and Scotland having issues accessing dreadnought medical services.  

 

This matter has already been raised in Scotland by my regional organisers who became aware of cases of our members where have a Collective Bargaining Agreement.

 

This appears to be due to administrative issues in transferring funds from the devolved nations' healthcare budgets to pay for the care of patients treated in England at Dreadnought.

 

I have written to Nautilus International with a view to initiating a joint campaign in order to rectify this matter.

 

I have also written to the MCA to register our concerns and explore the referral and funding mechanisms for merchant seafarer ratings in these areas.

 

 

Please bring this circular to the attention of relevant members.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary