Dr Sally Simmons is the only qualified and current Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Approved Medical Examiner of Divers (AMED) in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The Diving at Work regulations apply in the Bailiwick and therefore all commercial divers should have an annual HSE medical if working underwater or in any pressurised environment. Dr Simmons previously qualified as an HSE AMED in the UK and worked at Diving Diseases Research Centre in Plymouth for 10 years prior to returning to the islands. She has European Diving Technology Committee accreditation as a Level 2d Diving physician and was Course Director for all Diving Medicine courses run by DDRC from 2013 until 2017.
Dr Simmons is a former Military SADs as well as a BSAC Advanced Diver and has been diving for nearly 50 years across the globe.
Dr Simmons is also qualified as a UK Diving Medical Committee referee (UKDMC) and can undertake recreational or sports diver medicals for the main diver training organisations, such as BSAC and PADI.
Dr Simmons is the Diving Medical Adviser to the Bailiwick of Guernsey and is qualified to manage cases of decompression illness (decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism) treated in the new recompression chamber at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.
Please ring the IMC for diving medical availability. At the present time no medicals can be booked until January 2022 at the earliest. It may be possible to arrange sports medicals in Guernsey.
In a diving emergency you should ring 999 immediately to request an ambulance. The diver should be given high flow oxygen, laid down, kept warm and comfortable and taken to the Emergency Department as soon as possible. If telephone advice is needed, please ring the PEH Switchboard on 01481 725241or the Mignot Hospital on 01481 822822 and ask to speak to Dr Simmons.