NHS staff help when people are ill or injured, but as they are only human, who looks after them when they are hurt or unwell? Enter Dr Tamsin Radford who steps up to help the helpers.
Tamsin, 37, from Bewdley, Worcestershire, is a Medical Consultant and Head of Occupational Health and Wellbeing at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.
Her job encompasses a wide variety of roles. She explains: “I spend around half of my time in clinic seeing staff of this and other organisations, who have health problems relating to work. I am also in charge of the Health and Wellbeing programme in the Trust, and teach junior doctors occupational health medicine, working closely with human resources on staff sickness absence.”
Tamsin’s career has come full circle in her career. After starting with the Trust as a junior doctor, she spent time working at other Trusts and a spell at Jaguar Land Rover, before returning four years ago as a Consultant. A pivotal moment she describes as a career highlight.
Even after being in the role for a number of years, she is still passionate about her work. She said: “I am driven by being able to improve the health and wellbeing of the workforce and to work with my fantastic team.”
Tamsin helps a diverse range of patients with different ailments in her role. She has a wide and extensive knowledge of a variety of illnesses and injuries. She said: “I see a lot of muscle and skeletal problems and different psychiatric problems, but on top of this I also see patients with very rare conditions. It is hard to keep up to date with everything, but I know that I am not normally the only doctor treating a patient, so there is support if I need it.”
Tamsin enjoys all aspects of her job, but she particularly enjoys liaising with the HR team.
She commented: “I love working with human resources as it is a chance to spend time with people outside clinical work and who have a different view on life.”
There are still challenges ahead for Tamsin. She said: “We have recently taken on an extensive new contract, where we will deliver our excellent clinical service – I am working on the detail of that currently – and the planning for this year’s flu campaign is well underway.”
Away from work Tamsin enjoys swimming and baking, as well as spending time with psychiatrist husband Steve and her four stepchildren Hope, Lydia, Madeline and Niall.
She also loves to visit New Zealand to see her sister, and has plans to visit this year.
Tamsin has two heroes who have inspired her. One is Yvette Cooper MP and the other is Lesley Barnett, the Trust’s Deputy Director of Workforce.
She said: “I admire Yvette Cooper because she is a really intelligent strong woman and Lesley because she taught me everything about management.”
