PEME

The Club's Pre-Employment Medical Examination Programme

News

The UK P&I Club PEME Programme is pleased to announce the addition of a new clinic to the network of approved medical facilities in Philippines.

Physicians Diagnostics Services Centre located in Cebu City provides all required elements of the PEME examination, with on site laboratory services to ensure a quick turnaround of test results. For an outline of services please view the clinic website http://www.pds-clinic.com and see the attached brochure.

Brochure
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The addition of a new clinic in this new area for the PEME Programme, was in direct response to member need for medical screening facilities, outside of Manila, in the surrounding cities of the Philippines.

PDSC is available to assist all participating members of the PEME Programme with their crew medical requirements. For further information please contact us at the team email address (Peme.ukclub@thomasmiller.com)


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The UK P&I Club PEME Programme is pleased to announce the addition of a new clinic to the network of approved medical facilities in Croatia.

Poliklinka "Glavic" located in Dubrovnik provides all required elements of the PEME examination, with on site laboratory services to ensure a quick turnaround of test results. For an outline of services please view the clinic website http://www.poliklinika-glavic.hr

The addition of a new clinic in direct response to member need reinforces the PEME Programme representation in this growing area of crew recruitment. The Programme network covers the major Adriatic ports of Rijeka, Split and Dubrovnik.

Poliklinka "Glavic" is available to assist all participating members of the PEME Programme with their crew medical requirements.

For further information and/or to utilise the services of Poliklinka "Glavic" please contact the PEME Team at peme.ukclub@thomasmiller.com

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The UK P&I Club PEME Programme has recently added a new clinic to the network of approved facilities in Manila, Philippines.

Halcyon Marine Healthcare Systems was established in October 2006 with the objective to set up a quality maritime medical facility to ensure the health and safety of the seafarer whilst being responsive to the needs and expectations of both the patient and the client.

Currently on their third year of operations Halcyon is ISO certified and proud to have received accreditation and/or be on the list of recommended clinics to issue the medical certificates for the following (as of April 2009):

FLAG STATE and GOVERNMENT AGENCIES:
Belgium (Maritime Transport)
Canadian Dept. Of Transportation
China Embassy
Embassy of France
MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency)
Norwegian Maritime Directorate
Sweden
UKOOA (Oil and Gas UK)

For further information on the UK P&I Club PEME Programme and Halcyon Marine Healthcare Systems please contact the PEME Team on peme.ukclub@thomasmiller.com

Why the programme is effective:
The PEME Programme has proven to be the leading loss prevention initiative within the UK Club. It is evident from the statistical findings that it has provided a system for proper accountability by the clinic on the quality of the pre-employment medical examinations. It has also led to consistency in a high examination standard to protect a shipowner from claims arising from medical conditions that should have been detected during the pre-employment examination.

Participating shipowners are provided with a proven system for managing this aspect of crew risks and thus they benefit by having a fitter and healthier crew. This programme is the most extensive and inclusive system in the industry.

According to Phil Nichols, Regional Director - "An unfit crewman will have, or is likely to cause a major incident due to illness; so it's not just medical costs and sick wages that are at stake. Consider a few avoidable interruptions: delay in journey, disruption aboard vessel and unhappy customers or passengers."

Programme Objectives:

• Screen out existing medical conditions during pre-employment exam
• Reduce the value and volume of illness and repatriation claims for participating members
• Deliver a proven value added service to Members
• Focused growth of clinic network
• Ensure the needs of all Programme Members are met

Press Articles

200,000 up for UK Club's medical examination scheme

View the entire PEME Brochure

For further information please contact PEME Programme Director, Sophia Grant (tel: +44 20 7204 2417 fax: +44 207204 2210 e-mail: peme.ukclub@thomasmiller.com) or your usual Club contact.

PEME Questions & Answers

	Click on a question below:
	In which countries/areas does the PEME Programme operate? Australia, Croatia, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Philippines, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States How much does the average PEME examination cost? There are variations between countries however the following can be taken as a guide: US$ 80 in the Philippines US$ 70 in India US$ 300 in Romania What tests are included as part of the standard examination? The PEME Examination consists of:- Personal details. Full medical history, following a questionnaire completed by the seafarer and discussed with the examiner. Full physical examination (to include an examination by a dentist where possible). - Height/Weight/BMI/Pulse/BP - Blood testing - including Hepatitis B, Full Blood Count, VDRL/RPR - Audiometry - required in deck/engine crew, and those who have an equivocal whisper test. - Vision test (including colour vision testing) - Lung Function - Urinalysis Chest X-Ray * Electrocardiogram * Any further tests requested by the employing company and pre-agreed with the UK Club Any vaccines required should be given, reference being made to current WHO guidelines, as well as appropriate lifestyle advice n.b. HIV test and urine drug and alcohol screen only where required by the hiring company, and not in breach of local employment legislation. * test to be conducted where clinically appropriate. What other optional tests are available? Drug and Alcohol screening. Food handlers' screening for staff involved in the preperation or service of food. HIV testing (no HIV test may be conducted in the USA or where otherwise prohibited by applicable law).. Ultrasound (kidneys, bladder etc). Psychological Screening. Any other test requirements can be discussed with the UK P&I Club PEME Team. What are the savings of the UK P&I Club PEME Programme? Whilst it is difficult to be specific about the monetary benefits derived from the programme, the Club managers have no doubt they are considerable. Between 1999 and 2008 the average cost of crew illness claims was US$12,000 per claim. Based on the average cost our statistics prove that during the 2008 policy year the PEME programme saved UK P&I Club Members over US$11.1 million. What are the benefits of the Programme? The Programme provides extensive money saving opportunities and reduces the volume and frequency of crew illness claims. These claims may be above or below the member's deductibles thus providing a saving for both the member and Club. Other benefits include: More clinics/more countries – than any other scheme 13 successful years of experience – over 180,000 examinations completed 36 clinics in 13 different countries and an extensive network of US clinics UK P&I Club PEME Team handle all administrative duties including accreditation of new clinics, audit of existing facilities, review clinic performance etc Independent medical audits of participating clinics Reduced risk to other crewmembers and passengers onboard a vessel Reduction in claims above and below the deductible Efficient and Top-quality medical exams (physical and mental) Screening crew before employment assures best/healthiest crewmen onboard Clinics are fully accountable to the Club and must uphold high standards. Most extensive and sophisticated Programme in the industry (medically related scheme) Medical Examination online authentication process. What is the aim of the UK P&I Club PEME Programme? The UK Club Pre-employment Medical Examination (PEME) programme exists in order to ensure that seafarers employed by members of the UK Club are fully medically fit to carry out their full tour of duty. The medical examination may be done in tandem with an examination approved by the local maritime authority which may be required by the employer. The PEME programme does not presume to lay down new standards but ensures that existing standards are properly and thoroughly applied. Quality of the medical examination is assured by regular audits of participating clinics. How frequently should the PEME be performed? The medical examination should be performed no more than two months prior to the anticipated date of joining a ship. Each certificate should be considered valid for a period of one year. What experience do we look for in a UK P&I Club PEME Programme doctor? Doctors approved by the UK Club to carry out a PEME must have experience in occupational health and also in the particular problems experienced by seafarers. They should be approved examiners for their own country’s maritime administration, where such a system exists. They must therefore be fully aware of the standards and guidelines regarding fitness for sea service laid down by the ILO and in their own country, and must conform with these. Responsibility for the decision as to whether the seafarer is fit or not rests with the examining doctor unless they feel that they should refer the case for a more expert opinion. How frequently are the clinics audited? The clinics are audited on average every two to four years. There is a clinic audit rota in operation. Clinics in countries such as the Philippines and India, where there is a high volume of examinations being performed, are audited every two years by a joint Club and independent medical auditor The existing clinic audit lasts between 3-4 hours at each clinic and includes a review of medical records and accreditations as well as an interview with staff and a tour of the facilities. What is the clinic audit rota? 2009 Ukraine, Romania (Bucharest and Constansa), India (Delhi, Chennai Mumbai and Goa) How many PEME examinations are conducted on average each year? 35,000 PEME examinations are performed annually by the accredited clinics. What are the top 10 reasons for unfitness?