Credential in Rural and Remote Health

Dr Tom Mallinson is an experienced rural GP and pre-hospital physician with a clinical career spanning paramedic practice, aeromedical retrieval, anaesthesia, critical care and rural general practice.Tom developed his early clinical experience as a paramedic with the London Ambulance Service after completing a BSc in Paramedic Science through the University of Hertfordshire and the Trust. He later studied medicine at Warwick and completed foundation training in Jersey, where he gained experience of aeromedical retrieval between the Channel Islands and the UK mainland. He subsequently undertook anaesthesia training in the Midlands before moving into rural general practice training in the Western Isles.  

Alongside his clinical work, Tom has maintained a strong interest in education and academia. He has written articles and textbooks for publication and taught undergraduate allied health students, bringing together practical experience, scholarship and a commitment to professional development.

Tom followed the Recognition Route to gain the Rural and Remote Health Credential, drawing on experience developed across different clinical settings to demonstrate the breadth of judgement and capability required in rural and remote practice.

Reflecting on the value of the Credential, Tom said:

“The Rural and Remote Health Credential provides formal recognition of the day-to-day clinical workload of a rural physician. We see an undifferentiated patient group across all age ranges and, importantly, across all levels of acuity. A rural medicine shift might include minor injuries, cardiac arrests and people experiencing mental health crises.”

“What matters to me is that the Credential recognises the breadth of rural practice. Being able to demonstrate proficiency across a wider range of skills and capabilities than my base CCT is hugely valuable and better reflects the reality of my work.”

For Tom, formal recognition is important because it demonstrates that skills developed through a broad and varied career pathway can meet recognised professional standards. It also reflects the reality of working across urgent, primary and pre-hospital care, where clinicians may need to respond to a wide range of needs with limited immediate access to specialist support.

Tom now works as an urgent care physician and rural GP in the Highlands and as a pre-hospital physician with the Highland PICT Team. He also contributes to volunteer pre-hospital services through BASICS Scotland and Assynt Mountain Rescue Team, supporting patients in settings where geography, time and access to specialist care can shape clinical decisions.

“In rural practice, you often have to draw on different areas of experience in real time. The Credential provides a clear framework for demonstrating that breadth while recognising the adaptability and confidence needed to deliver safe, effective care.”

“I found it valuable to step back from the curriculum and reflect on where my strengths and development needs lay. That process helped me recognise the range of experience I had built over time and decide how best to present evidence of it for assessment.”

“I hope the Credential encourages other doctors with broad rural, remote or urgent care experience to recognise the value of their own pathway. Rural practice is not only about where you work; it is about the breadth, adaptability and judgement needed to deliver safe care when specialist support may be some distance away.”

To find out more about the credential learner and recognition routes, visit NHS Education for Scotland’s Credential in Rural and Remote Health | Turas | Learn.