Meet our specialist
Dr James Tan Wen Tien
Dr James Tan is a specialist in ansesthesiology and pain medicine with experience in managing acute, chronic and cancer-related pain.
Before entering private practice, he spent more than 20 years working in public hospitals.
He was Head of the Division of Pain Management and Senior Consultant in the Department of Anaesthesia at National University Hospital. His work included caring for patients through the hospital’s Acute and Chronic/Cancer Pain Services.
His approach combines specialist medical training, holistic care, and skilled interventional pain procedures, with a focus on each patient’s individual needs.
Education & Specialist Training
Dr Tan obtained his medical degree at University College London before returning to Singapore to complete his Master of Medicine in Anaesthesiology. He received specialist accreditation in 2006.
In 2009, he received the Ministry of Health’s Health Manpower Development Plan scholarship to pursue pain medicine training at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney under Professor Michael Cousins.
- MB8S, University College London
- Master of Medicine in Anaesthesiology
- Fellow, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists
- Fellow, Academy of Medicine, Singapore
- Fellowship training in Pain Management, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney
Approach to Pain Care
Dr Tan combines deep clinical knowledge with thoughtful, evidence-based care to offer treatments that help reduce pain and improve quality of life.
Your Care
What Patients Can Expect
A personalised treatment plan will be formulated which may involve medication, physical therapies and minimally invasive interventional pain procedures.
Compassionate Care
An individual approach that considers your symptoms, needs and how pain affects your daily life.
Broad Clinical Experience
Experience in managing acute, chronic and cancer- related pain.
Specialist Training
Medical and specialist training in the United Kingdom, Singapore and Australia.
Interventional Expertise
Experienced in a range of minimally invasive, non-surgical procedures to relieve and treat various pain conditions.
Career Highlights
Experience That Shapes Your Care
Clinical Leadership
At National University Hospital, Dr Tan served as Senior Consultant in Anaesthesia and Head of the Division of Pain Management, overseeing acute and chronic/cancer pain services.
Teaching & Mentorship
His academic experience includes an appointment as Assistant Professor at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, teaching medical students and postgraduate doctors.
Developing Pain Specialists
Dr Tan established a Pain Management Fellowship Training Programme accredited by the Singapore Medical Council, contributing to the training of future specialists.
Professional Contributions
As a former council member of the Pain Association of Singapore, he helped promote awareness of chronic pain through professional symposiums and public talks.
Advancing Clinical Practice
His professional interests include interventional pain procedures and preventive pain relief around surgery or trauma, with attention to the transition from acute to chronic pain.