The British Diving Safety Group released the following advice to divers.

 “NHS England has confirmed that, following the recent procurement process, contracts for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) services have been awarded for three of the six planned regional centres (East of England, London and South East, and South West). At this time, no contracts have been awarded for the North East, North West, or Midlands regions. 

This decision affects four existing hyperbaric chambers — LHM Healthcare (Whipps Cross), Midlands Diving Chamber (Rugby), North England Medical Hyperbaric (Hull) and Hyperbaric Treatment and Training Services (Wirral)— which, unless alternative arrangements are made, they will no longer be under NHS contract as of 1 October 2025. 

This decision will leave divers across the Midlands and Northern England without timely NHS-funded access to vital recompression facilities — a critical component of emergency treatment for decompression illness.” British Diving Safety Group. 

This move raises serious concerns over treatment inequality and regional discrimination. While facilities in the South remain available, divers in the Midlands and North will be left with limited access, significantly compromising diving safety and emergency response capabilities across large geographic areas. 

“This isn’t just about geography – it is about fairness, safety and survival” said a Spokesman for the British Diving Safety Group. “Diving emergencies cannot wait and removing access will not save money in the long term. It simply shifts the cost to lives lost, prolongation of treatment and illness. It will also unnecessarily tie up blue light emergency services.” It should also be noted when looking at travel if you are diving in eg of the North East coast and Great Yarmouth is full, there is a potential that you could be shipped down to DDRC for treatment so will not be far off travelling the entire length of England. 

The removal of these services raises significant concerns regarding equity of treatment and diving safety. With the absence of these resources, divers in these regions will face increased risks due to delayed access to life-saving treatment. It should also be noted that London divers could also be affected, whilst the Chichester chamber is within an acceptable travel range, it is manned by Royal Navy physicians, it is not clear how are they going to provide a service to the 12 million population of London without affecting the care of their navy divers. 

When we also consider out inland dive sites for example Stoney Cove, Matt King, Stoney’s director had this to say, “This is an extremely concerning decision for UK diving. Reducing operating hyperbaric chambers by over 60% and confining coverage to only the east and south of the country places divers who find themselves in difficulty across the midlands and north at significantly larger risk to their health, forcing them to travel far further and longer for appropriate medical attention and placing an unnecessary amount of strain on an already stretched ambulance service.” 

The move undermines efforts to ensure a fair and consistent level of safety to all divers, regardless of location. Recompression chambers provide the definitive treatment for those suffering from decompression sickness and are a cornerstone of diving safety management. Without access to these facilities, the risk to divers in affected areas will be significantly heightened, leading to concerns about the integrity of the entire national diving safety framework. 

The reduction in diving safety services compromises not only the health of individuals but also the reputation of diving safety management across the country. The lack of a renewed contract for these chambers further exposes the vulnerabilities in our healthcare system and raises concerns about the prioritisation of diver welfare. 

“Diving warrants immediate and specialised treatment in the event of decompression illness,” said a Spokesman for the British Diving Safety Group “The absence of contracted chambers in central and northern regions of England exposes divers to increased health risks and undermines national diving safety protocols.” 

The decision highlights a growing inequity in NHS service provision and has been met with alarm by diving safety advocates, emergency responders, and the wider diving community. With the UK’s extensive coastline and inland dive sites, ensuring timely nationwide access to recompression services is vital to safe diving practices and emergency preparedness. 

Stakeholders including the dive training agencies are today urging NHS England to reconsider this move and engage with diving and medical communities to develop a more equitable model of care.”

The BSAC have also issued a statement about this situation and it can be found here.