MY Consultant: Dr Matt Tolhurst

Hello, my name is Matt, and I joined Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust as an Emergency Medicine Consultant in July 2024.

Growing up in Leeds, I studied medicine in far-away Southampton before returning to West Yorkshire, beginning my career as a newly qualified doctor at Dewsbury & District Hospital. After leaving Mid Yorks to undertake specialty training, I am thrilled to have now come full circle and re-joined the trust where my career began back in 2013. Outside of work, I live in nearby Barnsley with my wife and two boys, who consume all my free time and energy!

I feel I have settled in nicely to my role, and this is largely down to how welcoming the incredible Emergency Department team have been. I thrive in the unpredictable, fast-paced and ever-changing environment that the Emergency Department offers, and although the job is tough, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I enjoy bringing calm to the chaos.

We are all aware of the challenges that Emergency Medicine is facing at the moment. Despite this, I still firmly believe that we are in a privileged position where we can make a positive difference to people who are potentially having one of the worst days of their lives when they turn to us. For me, this is the most rewarding aspect of my job.

Looking forward, I am excited to have a long and productive career as a consultant at Mid Yorks. I have a particular interest in point-of care ultrasound, having undertaken post-graduate qualifications to develop my skills in this field, and teaching. I am excited to be able to combine both these interests to further the ultrasound education of staff working in the Emergency Department.