Killed by a lorry as he cycled to work, Queen’s homeopathic doctor
A DOCTOR to the Queen has been killed when he was knocked off his bicycle in a collision with a lorry in rush-hour traffic.
Bystanders tried to help Dr Peter Fisher but he was pronounced dead at the scene in central London after paramedics arrived.
The 67-year-old, a world leader in homeopathic medicine, had been part of the Queen’s personal medical team since 2001.
Buckingham Palace said the monarch had been informed of the father-of-two’s death but made no further comment.
Sir Marcus Setchell, the Queen’s former surgeon-gynaecologist, said: ‘He was much respected as a good doctor who saw homeopathy as complementary to medical care. We are all shocked by his tragic loss.’
Dr Fisher was director of research at the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine and president of the Faculty of Homeopathy.
The alternative therapy is based on an 18th century theory that substances which cause illness can be used to cure them if given in small, heavily diluted doses.
It has many prominent supporters, including Sir Paul McCartney and the Prince of Wales, who is known to have consulted herbalists and chiropractors for ailments including severe back pain.
The Queen Mother was also said to be an ardent believer in its potency.
Dr Fisher, of Highgate, North London, is believed to have been on his way to work on Wednesday – which marked the UK’s annual Cycle to Work Day – when his bicycle collided with a truck near High Holborn.
The area has become notorious for cyclist deaths and injuries. Witnesses said his bicycle was crushed under the lorry’s cab and he was pinned under a wheel.
The driver stopped and is helping police with their investigation. He has not been arrested.
The vehicle is owned by CCF, a nationwide distributor of insulation and building products which is part of the Travis Perkins group.
The firm said it was working with police ‘to determine exactly what happened’ and offered its sympathies to Dr Fisher’s family.
In a tribute, Greg White, chief executive of the Faculty of Homeopathy, said: ‘We have lost a leader, not just for the faculty but for homeopathy in the UK and worldwide. It’s not an exaggeration to say Peter is an irreplaceable talent. He was a giant in all his fields of endeavour, which included clinician, researcher and academic.’
Dr Gill Gaskin, medical director of the specialist hospitals board at University College London Hospitals, said: ‘Peter was a highly regarded colleague and friend of many at the RLHIM, where he worked for more than 35 years.
‘He will be greatly missed by his colleagues and patients alike. Our deepest sympathies go out to Peter’s family, friends and loved ones at this difficult time.’
Dr Fisher studied medicine at Cambridge University and became interested in alternative therapies on a trip to China as an undergraduate in the 1970s. He saw a woman having major stomach surgery without anaesthetic, with only three acupuncture needles in her ear to manage the pain.
The medic went on to become a world- renowned specialist in homeopathy and chaired the World Health Organisation’s working group on the subject.
An estimated 470,000 people use homeopathic remedies in England every year. These include Arnica for shock and bruising and Bach Flower Rescue Remedy for stress. Prince Charles has lobbied for the NHS to support both orthodox and complementary medicine.
Supporters believe homeopathy can treat a range of health problems , from hayfever to depression.
Despite high profile support from the royals and stars including Sir Paul McCartney and actress Susan Hampshire, NHS England has recently stopped funding GPs to prescribe homeopathic treatments as part of a drive to save money by banishing ‘ low- value’ treatments from routine use. Last year Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said homeopathy was ‘at best a placebo and a misuse of scarce NHS funds’.
But supporters, including Dr Fisher, continued to lobby for its use alongside orthodox medical treatment.
Writing in the Daily Mail in 2006, Dr Fisher said alternative therapies were cheaper than conventional medicine, adding: ‘In many cases, [ they] have a more positive effect on a patient’s general wellbeing.’
‘He was a giant in all his fields’