Tom completed medical training at Guy’s Hospital, London in 1993. He has been a Consultant Geriatrician at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals since 2003 and gained his MBA from Nottingham University Business School.

In 2009, Tom undertook a Health Foundation Quality Improvement Fellowship at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Boston, USA and on his return to Sheffield developed the role of Clinical Lead for Quality Improvement. He completed his MPH at Harvard University in 2011. In 2013, Tom was appointed Honorary Professor at Sheffield Hallam University.

Tom has been National Clinical Director for Older People at NHS England since 2024.