OEUK Offshore Medicals: Non-compliant remote medicals (March 2026)

This safety alert explains why OEUK offshore medicals must be carried out in person and why remote or online medicals are not in line with the OEUK Offshore Medical Guidelines. 

Each year, over 1,500 OEUK-approved medical examiners around the world carry out more than 200,000 medicals in accordance with the OEUK Offshore Medical Guidelines.

 However, OEUK has been made aware that some examiners have been offering remote medical assessments by phone or video, which they have been describing as OEUK medicals. These do not meet OEUK requirements as set out in the current version of the guidelines (version 8.1a published on 1st February 2026). 

It is acknowledged that remote assessments were used temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic, under emergency guidance that allowed limited “socially distanced” assessments. This temporary option ended when general Covid restrictions were eased. Issue 8 of the OEUK Offshore Medical Guidelines was published in November 2025 with an administrative update (version 8.1a) in February 2026. The effect of the requirements set out in Issue 8 is that OEUK medicals must include in-person assessment. Despite this, a small number of examiners continue to offer remote assessments.

 Companies and workers are free to determine their own medical assessment requirements and to choose any type of medical assessment. Where a company has selected the OEUK medical examination process it is obligatory that the Guidelines are adhered to by medical examiners carrying out those medical assessments. Only medicals carried out in accordance with the OEUK Guidelines can be described as an OEUK Medical where a valid certificate can be issued.

Delegated medicals are permitted under restricted conditions where sufficient clinical governance ensures consistency and quality, however these are not accepted in all geographical areas.

Workers and companies should always verify medical examiners and their clinics against the OEUK doctors list to avoid being issued a non-compliant certificate.

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