Hi I’m Tom. I’m a GP and writer exploring what happens when we stop rushing healthcare.

I believe empathy, trust and compassion aren’t 'nice-to-have'. 

They are the foundations of good care. 

They help patients feel safe. 

They help clinicians stay grounded. 

Without them, healthcare becomes hollow.

Since qualifying as a doctor in 2012, I’ve worked across the spectrum of environments. From chaotic A&E shifts and overstretched GP surgeries to my current roles in a highly deprived NHS practice and a concierge clinic serving global high-performing clients.

That contrast taught me one thing:

Fast care is not always better care.

More information doesn’t always mean better outcomes.

Lasting change only happens when people feel seen, heard and respected.

That’s why I created the SLOW Health philosophy. A movement and framework to shift away from fast, reactive medicine and towards something more human and effective.

S is for Sustainable.
Not just for patients. But for clinicians. And the planet.
Sustainable care means building long-term trust, reducing overprescribing, avoiding unnecessary interventions, and creating systems that heal instead of burn out. 
I write about how we can build scalable, community-led solutions that reduce pressure and increase wellbeing for everyone involved.

L is for Life-focused
Everyone has a story. No one fits into a generic plan.
Through my B.L.U.E.P.R.I.N.T framework, I help people reconnect with their values and build habits around what matters most, using low or no-cost lifestyle changes to create real agency without shame or blame.

O is for Open.
Open to challenge. Open to doubt. Open to other perspectives. 
True care means seeing through someone else’s eyes and finding the middle ground. The space where evidence, experience and lived reality can meet. Openness builds connection, which builds trust, which builds change.

W is for Wise.
Wise care is not reactive or rigid. It draws from evidence but also emotional insight. Through my REACT framework, based on TEAM CBT therapy, I help people and professionals slow down their thinking, step out of autopilot, and reframe distorted beliefs that drive suffering.

SLOW is not just for clinicians. It’s for anyone trying to lead with care, live with intention, and change systems from the inside out.

In my writing I share real stories, practical tools and ideas for sustainable change in healthcare and beyond. If that resonates, I’d love to connect.

(All posts are general reflections, not medical advice. Always speak to your own provider for personal health concerns.)

The biggest insight I’ve gained from treating 1000s of patients as a GP behind closed doors…



Every week I sit with people of different ages, cultures, beliefs, abilities and identities in clinic.

I see people at their most vulnerable.

When they are scared.
When they are angry.
When they are the most human.

And when I create a safe environment, everything comes out.

Not only fears about their own health, but their families. Their friends.

Their futures. Their pasts. 
Their hopes and dreams.

And the moments they feel they’ve fallen short.

I’ve seen incredible joy at good news.
And heartbreak at bad.

Tears, smiles, clenched fists, shaking hands.
Gritted teeth. A hopeful lean forward.
Even a high five, from kids and adults alike.

The biggest thing I’ve learned as a doctor..

Is that this entire spectrum of emotion is universal.

The colour of your skin. 
The language you speak. 
Where you or your family were born.

Your community, your beliefs, your appearance, your ability.

None of it changes the fundamentals.

Everyone feels fear and happiness.
Everyone cries and finds joy and laughter.
Everyone feels pain.

Everyone makes mistakes.
Everyone learns.
Everyone grows.

And everyone has the capacity to connect.

I know this because they connect with me.

Sometimes starting as a stranger wearing a stethoscope.

I meet them with respect, and they return it.

So when people outside of my clinic make sweeping judgements about “others” because of race, religion, culture, identity, beliefs, appearance or ability..

..I see the truth more clearly.

We are all more similar than we are different.

1:1. Without performance. Without an audience.

We are all just humans talking to other humans.

I’ve actually heard judgement of “others” from patients in my clinic room. 

I’ve seen fast judgements fuelled mostly by fear..

..soften when met with compassion.

Fear is replaced by empathy. People learn something new. People choose to think differently.

And if patients who have felt judged, separated, or let down by society themselves can still choose empathy, I think anyone can.

As doctors, we are privileged to treat people from all walks of life.

But privilege is only useful if it becomes a bridge.

A way to demonstrate respect and empathy to others even if our beliefs and backgrounds differ.

Problems may differ.

But emotions speak the same language.

Not everyone will have the privilege to see these universal similarities.

But everyone gets a choice.

To accept others even when the world seems to push toward judgement.

To lead with empathy.

It’s slower. 
It’s nuanced. 
It’s harder sometimes.

But it’s the only real way to navigate a world filled with multiple ideas, cultures and identities.

And maybe if we slow down, think deeply and feel a little more often.

We can rebuild some of the trust we’re losing in each other.

The kind we so desperately need right now.


Then we all get the privilege of connection.



What do you think?

Dr Tom Gedman 

No alternative text description for this image

taplio

Tom Gedman's Linkedin Analytics

Tom Gedman

Performance ScoreTom Gedman's LinkedIn Performance

Tom Gedman's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

.css-6ytdur{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39, 43, 72, 1) 0%, rgba(33, 47, 183, 1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Tom Gedman's Linkedin Analytics

Tom Gedman

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Tom Gedman's LinkedIn Performance

Tom Gedman's Best Posts .css-1emoo84{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:400;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);}(last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Tom Gedman's Linkedin Analytics

Performance ScoreTom Gedman's LinkedIn Performance

Tom Gedman's Best Posts (last 30 days)