Dr Tony Steele-Perkins is a Consultant Occupational Physician with many years experience and a special interest in emotional well-being. He is a Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, and has a Master's Degree in Ergonomics/Human Factors with its high psychology content.
Dr TSP has had an unusual career, initially in the field of aviation medicine in the Royal Navy, where there are so many stressors on all involved both on the ground, at sea, and in the air on 24 hours operations. To gain in-depth knowledge and hands on experience, he trained as an operational pilot and became a flying instructor on the advanced flying training side, flying Sea King helicopters. He worked at the internationally known Institute of Aviation Medicine at Farnborough, on human performance, error and risk for seven years, before going back to a clinical role, and then to become a senior manager, leading on health and safety and then being the Personnel Director for the Royal Naval Medical Service. In his last post, he had a leading role in managing a deep redundancy programme, and was accepted for voluntary redundancy himself to seek new challenges.
On leaving the Navy, Dr TSP led the occupational health team supporting the London Fire Brigade, with its stressors and pressure and hostile operating environments. He worked with both physical and psychological rehab teams treating fire service personnel for anxiety, depression and post trauma reactions. He's also led Occupational Health teams supporting Organisational Health in both the public and private sectors, and spent 4 years leading a team in supporting hard pressed NHS staff in Somerset. Dr TSP still working one day a week for the NHS, but the latest challenge is working in London in a team supporting those at all levels who are facing huge pressures in the current business climate, and whose coping strategies are strained.
Dr TSP has written papers on aviation medicine and ergonomics, and has lectured widely on managing stress at work, and the roles of health professionals in treating those who are struggling. He is primarily involved with those in the adult working age population. He is working with some leading psychiatrists over the need to de-medicalise the current trends to make stress and normal coping reactions an illness, whilst ensuring that those who are struggling receive the correct support, and those with clinical depression and anxiety, or those with enduring mental health problems, are properly recognised. and treated.
Dr TSP has a wide range of interests and hobbies, but little time to do them!
May 2010
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