Why Experience Matters in Occupational Health: Meet the Physicians Strengthening the Health Matters Team
Behind every strong Occupational Health service is a team of experienced clinicians who understand that workplace health is about more than a medical diagnosis.
At Health Matters Occupational Health, we’re continuing to grow our clinical team with the addition of two highly experienced Occupational Health Physicians, Dr David Poots FFOMI and Dr Donna McCartan MFOM.
Both bring extensive experience across Occupational Medicine, but their careers have taken them through different sectors, organisations and areas of expertise. Together, they add significant clinical depth to our growing team and strengthen the expertise we can offer our clients.
Meet Dr David Poots
Dr David Poots joins Health Matters as a Consultant Occupational Physician, bringing more than three decades of medical experience.
David studied medicine at Imperial College London before training in General Practice and spending nine years as a GP partner in England. He subsequently developed an extensive career in Occupational Medicine, working across a remarkably diverse range of industries and organisations.
His experience includes working with the NHS, emergency services, local government, education, transport, offshore energy, maritime, shipbuilding, nuclear, construction and manufacturing.
He has supported organisations with areas including fitness for work, health surveillance, complex medical cases, workplace assessments and workplace health and wellbeing, as well as advising on policies around attendance and drugs and alcohol.
David also brings considerable experience in clinical leadership and governance. He has led on clinical governance and audit, supported clinicians with complex cases, dealt with complaints and contributed to the development and implementation of new clinical processes and policies.
He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians Ireland (FRCPI) and a Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians Ireland (FFOMI).
What particularly stands out about David’s career is the breadth of workplace environments he has experienced. From railways and emergency services to nuclear and offshore industries, he has developed an understanding of the very different health considerations that can exist across workplaces.
Meet Dr Donna McCartan
Dr Donna McCartan joins Health Matters as a Consultant and Specialist in Occupational Medicine, bringing extensive Occupational Health experience across public services, utilities and corporate environments.
Donna was added to the GMC Specialist Register in Occupational Medicine in 2024 and holds an MSc in Occupational Medicine with Distinction, alongside her MFOM, AFOM and Diploma in Occupational Medicine.
Donna has particular expertise in health surveillance, fitness-for-work assessments, rehabilitation and return-to-work programmes, workplace health risk management and clinical governance. She has also undertaken audit and quality assurance work, using findings to support clinical improvement and best practice.
Alongside her clinical work, Donna brings valuable strategic experience. She previously held the role of Chief Medical Officer for a national energy provider, providing corporate-level advice, contributing to health policies and promoting organisational wellbeing. She also supported the training and professional development of junior colleagues.
This combination of clinical expertise, strategic insight and governance experience adds another important dimension to our growing clinical team.
Different careers. Shared expertise.
While David and Donna have taken different routes through their careers, their experience highlights something important about Occupational Medicine:
There is no one-size-fits-all workplace.
A healthcare environment presents different challenges to a construction site. A rail operator has different considerations to an office-based organisation. Offshore, maritime, manufacturing and emergency service roles can all bring their own occupational risks and requirements.
Having clinicians who have worked across these environments allows Occupational Health advice to be considered within the real-world context of the work.
And that is one of the things we’re particularly excited about as David and Donna join Health Matters. Their experience means they bring not only clinical knowledge, but an understanding of the practical questions employers face every day.
Strengthening our clinical team
The arrival of David and Donna represents an exciting stage in the continued growth of Health Matters Occupational Health.
Our aim is to build a team that combines clinical expertise, practical workplace understanding and a genuine commitment to supporting healthier workplaces.
For our clients, that means access to an increasingly experienced clinical team capable of supporting a broad range of Occupational Health needs.
From individual clinical assessments and complex cases to health surveillance, fitness for work, rehabilitation and wider workplace health considerations, our Occupational Health Physicians play an important role in helping organisations navigate the relationship between health and work.
Looking ahead
We’re incredibly pleased to have David and Donna join the Health Matters team.
Their experience, knowledge and different professional perspectives will be a valuable addition to our organisation as we continue to develop our services and support more employers and their people.
Experience matters. And we’re proud to be building a team that brings that experience to the organisations we work with.
Welcome to Health Matters, David and Donna!