Dr Richard Thompson is a highly experienced paediatric surgeon, holding the title of Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Edinburgh, and Australasia. He relocated from the UK to the Gold Coast in 2015 to begin his career as a specialist paediatric surgeon at the Gold Coast University Hospital. Dr Thompson has extensive expertise in managing children with gastrointestinal and colorectal disease, developed during his tenure as a consultant paediatric surgeon at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital.

Dr Thompson graduated with an honours degree in Medical Sciences from Nottingham University in 1993. He completed three years of basic surgical training, including time at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, and subsequently entered the highly competitive UK specialist training scheme in paediatric surgery. He gained valuable experience working at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow, where he was senior registrar. Dr Thompson also spent twelve months as a senior resident in paediatric surgery at the Bustamante Children's Hospital in Jamaica.

Dr Thompson's contributions extend beyond his clinical practice. He played a pivotal role in delivering specialised services to remote and rural populations during his time as the Clinical Lead for Children's Surgery in Aberdeen from 2011 to 2014. He also held the position of Honorary Secretary for the Scottish Surgical Paediatric Society and contributed to both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education as an honorary senior lecturer at Aberdeen University. Moreover, he served as a member of the board of examiners for the intercollegiate examination in paediatric surgery and acted as an advisor on behalf of the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges for consultant appointments in Scotland.

Since 2015, Dr Thompson has performed medical services that include both minimally invasive and open surgical modalities. Families on the Gold Coast have gained unprecedented access to comprehensive paediatric surgery services locally, thanks to his arrival. Furthermore, Dr Thompson performs surgeries at Pindara Private, John Flynn, and Tweed Hospitals.