Dr Edward Thompson

 Dr Edward Thompson

MB ChB, MA, MSc Med Ed, FHEA, MRCGP, FFHom, FURHP, Dip. BSLM

How did you start your journey in Homeopathy practice?

My step father was a private GP who took over his Practice from a GP who was a Homeopath, being around him sowed the seeds for a desire to study Medicine; and although he never practised it he was open minded to Homeopathy. I changed my career pathway during my first degree when I had a positive personal experience after seeing a professional Homeopath, and realised that as someone without science A levels that I could study Homeopathy. I trained at the College of Homeopathy from 1990-1993 and have  practised ever since. I studied Medicine in my mid thirties at Leicester, became a GP in 2012 and passed my MFHom exam in 2017.  

How do you integrate Homeopathy in your professional practice?

I am an NHS GP in Cumbria and practice Integrative Medicine incorporating Homeopathy, Herbal Medicine, Lifestyle and Ecological and Nutritional Medicine where appropriate and possible with my GP NHS patients. 

At the moment I am focusing on using Homeopathy in my GP NHS practice, and have few private patients. It is increasingly difficult for patients who do not have the funds to access Homeopathic treatment on the NHS and I think it is important to keep it there as a service. I use Homeopathy either as  a supportive treatment alongside conventional treatment or on its own where there is no conventional treatment  or the evidence is poor and the patient has expressed a preference for Homeopathy, and it is safe to use it first line. I combine it with lifestyle and nutritional advice, as well as considering environmental influences on health. I also use herbal medicine which can work very well alongside Homeopathy. I have a pragmatic real world approach to Homeopathy and Integrative Medicine believing we should adapt to patients‘ needs rather than adapting the patient to our particular biases.