Richard has been based in the market town of Abergavenny within the Aneurin Bevan Health Board area for the past 14 years. He has 12 years experience as an NHS General Practitioner in this area. In 2000 he gained membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners with merit. His particular interests are in shared decision making, enablement, evidence based medicine (EBM) and integrative medicine. He was an early adopter in the Shared decision making movement and participated in an early research project on the subject in 1999. His interest in EBM has lead to a wealth of knowledge on finding and using information in medical decision-making. In 2003 he passed the Faculty of Homeopathy examination to enable him to use homeopathy within the primary care setting. In 2011 he engaged in furthering his study in chinese medical theory under the acupuncturist Isobel Cosgrove. He facilitates the use of these therapies and is able to liaise with specialists appropriately.
As a GP he promotes participation in health decision making at an individual and corporate level and working as a health consultant is a progression to focus on this aspect of his work. He actively participated in the Health Boards development plans for Specialist Critical Care services for Gwent to ensure that a convincing argument, with support from the community, was persuasive enough to secure funding adequate to also protect local services. He continues to promote the engagement of the local community with ABHB in their commitment to provide excellent healthcare. He describes his current relationship with the NHS as akin to Churchills description of his position on the church "not a pillar of the Church but more of a flying buttress--I support it from the outside."
Ph: 01873 855128 or e: Rich @ TheHealthConsultant.co.uk (no spaces)
