About

Hi, I’m Alexander Thompson. Welcome to Thompson Thinks.

Established in 2020 amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Thompson Thinks is purposed at providing an outlet for narrative and discourse on the world of disaster management, climate change, and health. It's my way to try and write regularly by sharing my personal views and thoughts on a range of topics.

I have spent the majority of my career working in emergency preparedness, resilience and response (EPRR) and operational management roles within the English National Health Service (NHS), at provider, system and regional levels. I am currently employed as Head of EPRR for an NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) in the South East Region.

In my career to date I have supported the response to a variety of major incidents, including tragedies such as the Croydon Tram Crash of November 2016, the Grenfell Tower Fire, the Salisbury Novichok poisonings, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outside the NHS, I volunteer with the nation’s leading health charity, St John Ambulance. I currently have the privilege of serving as the Regional Commissioner for the South East, leading the Regional Volunteer Leadership Network in delivering a high-quality experience for over 6,500 volunteers. I am also a school governor and passionate about access to high-quality education.

In 2015 I completed a Master of Science in Crisis and Disaster Management, with a thesis focused on understanding what drives volunteer confidence in emergency operations environments.
In October 2020 I commenced research as a PhD student with UCL’s Institute of Risk and Disaster Reduction. My research sits in the cross-section between disaster science, climate change and health systems. My academic interests are broad, but I am particularly drawn to the way we create vulnerability in relation to future climate-disaster hazards, as well as how health systems prepare for and respond to cascading events. My PhD thesis is focused on understanding heat as a hazard to health and health systems.

I am a Fellow of the Institute of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, the oldest learned society for Disaster Risk Reduction, having recently served a two-year stint as Vice-Chair. I am a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health.

Outside of the world of disasters or volunteering, you are likely to find me:

singing sea shanties, drinking ale from a pewter tankard and wishing I was on a tall-ship sailing the seven seas;
in-front of the television with a tub of popcorn (or healthy alternative) and a Louis Theroux documentary;
or spending time in my local weightlifting and powerlifting gym.

I am always interested in expanding my network and would welcome anyone to get in touch to discuss collaborative opportunities.

The comments, views, and opinions in my blogs and publications are all my own unless clearly cited otherwise.