Air Commodore David McLoughlin OBE MB BCh BAO MSc MRCGP DRCOG DFFP DAvMed FFOM FRCP psc(j) RAF

Biography

David McLoughlin joined the Royal Air Force in 1988 as a medical cadet. After qualifying in medicine from Queens University, Belfast in 1990 he trained as a General Practitioner at RAF Gatow, HQ AFCENT, RAF Marham, and Hinchingbrooke NHS Hospital trust.

This was followed by postings to RAF Ascension Island, to RAF Aldergrove and to RAF Henlow as an Aviation Medicine instructor. Between 2001 and 2005 he completed higher professional training in Occupational Medicine at the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine and at University Hospital Birmingham. He was made Officer Commanding Aviation Medicine Training Wing and promoted to Wing Commander in 2004. He completed the Advanced Command and Staff Course with distinction in 2008.

From 2008 to 2010 he was SO1 Medical Operations at HQ Air Command. He was appointed as President of the RAF Medical Board and promoted to Group Captain in 2010. Subsequently he was DACOS AvMed, the tri-service lead for aviation medicine.

From 2015 to 2017 he was AH Medical Commitments in MOD Main Building. He took up the post of Inspector General on promotion to Air Commodore on 27 March 2017.

Air Commodore McLoughlin is a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners, a Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. He won the Stewart Memorial prize in 1999, the Royal Society of Medicine United Services section research prize in 2000 and the John Ernsting prize of the US based Aerospace Medicine Association in 2017.

His operational experience includes Northern Ireland (a home tour), the Falkland Islands, Op Telic and Op Herrick (3 tours). He was awarded the Order of St John in 2005 and the Order of the British Empire in 2014. He has been the RAF Taylor Professor of Occupational Medicine and the Director of Assessment for the national Faculty of Occupational Medicine.

Previous roles in government

  • Defence Medical Services Regulator Head