Guest blog by Dr Martin Tohill
My career began in general practice and has evolved through curiosity, a desire to support colleagues, and a belief that strong occupational health (OH) systems can change working lives for the better. Looking back, the most significant opportunities emerged not from seeking leadership, but from recognising where I could contribute and stepping forward.
Early in my career, I became a Trainee member of what was then the Faculty Forum for Northern Ireland and then served as the Northern Ireland representative on the Faculty Board for seven years. Those years taught me how national standards are shaped and why representation from smaller regions is vital. Alongside this, I developed a passion for education - becoming an epidemiology and statistics tutor for Manchester University, undergraduate honorary lecturer at Queens University, and a contributor to FOM and GMC working groups on disability in doctors and health declaration for provisional registration in Trainees. These roles showed me that leadership often starts in the quieter, behind the scenes work that strengthens a specialty.
One of the most meaningful initiatives I developed was the Doctors in Difficulty service within Belfast Trust. I saw a need for structured, specialist support for colleagues navigating complex health, personal or professional challenges. Creating this service taught me the value of compassionate, early intervention and the importance of building trust between OH, medical directors, supervisors, and postgraduate training organisations. This experience shaped my belief that leadership is fundamentally relational: it is about seeing people, listening carefully, seizing the opportunity, working in partnership, and creating systems that help people succeed.
Over the years, my involvement with FOM and SOM deepened. I later joined the Faculty Board in Dublin, as a Fellow, a role I have held for four years, strengthening my understanding of cross border workforce issues and building close relationships with colleagues across Ireland. My contribution has included roles as a mentor on the SOM/NSOH mentoring scheme, allowing me to share learning.
A turning point in my career was stepping into the role of Executive Director/Chief Medical Officer for Occupational Health in a large public service organisation. Entering an organisation where occupational health (OH) was in a precarious position. This role involved leading a multidisciplinary OH team of around 50 staff and managing a £3 million budget. I undertook a full ground up service review including a systems review which led to recommendations for addressing service gaps, strengthening governance, a business case for 15 additional staff, including two portfolios to CESR posts.
Perhaps the most challenging leadership task I faced has been helping to restore specialty training in occupational medicine in Northern Ireland, after many years without an NTN scheme. The specialist workforce had reached crisis point, reducing from 15 specialists to 10, of whom five were part-time. Restarting training required more than technical planning, it required building a coalition.
The solution emerged from partnership, evidence, and persistence. In 2023, NIMDTA agreed to reinstate the scheme, with a trainee/Resident Doctor appointed in 2024. I then sought and successfully gained funding for a second Resident Doctor who started in 2025 and a third who is due to start in August 2026. This was a reminder that even the most difficult problems can be solved through collaboration and persistence. It would not have been successful if I had not seized the opportunity and stepped forward.
During this time I have also successfully recruited four SAS doctors, portfolio route to CESR; a number of these were recruited via the NSOH/SOM mentoring scheme, showing the success of stepping forward as a mentor and facilitating shadowing in OH.
For those of you beginning your OH leadership journey, my advice is:
- Invest in people - mentoring others strengthens the whole specialty.
- Use clear, active communication - especially during uncertainty.
- Stay values driven - compassion, integrity, and evidence matter.
- Build networks early - complex problems need collective solutions.
- Do not give up easily – be resilient and persistent.
Leadership in occupational medicine is at all levels and the opportunities are endless. We are uniquely placed to influence workers' health, organisations, systems, and government. It is often the steady, persistent work of improving systems and supporting people that can achieve such successes. It is a huge privilege, and I remain grateful for the opportunities to contribute to a specialty that makes such a meaningful difference.
Dr Martin Tohill FRSPH FFMLM FRCP FRCPI FFOMI FFOM is a Consultant in Occupational Medicine.