Our Team

At The Burghwood Clinic, our experienced staff lead by Apelles Econs (the Registered Manager on top of his clinical responsibilities) and the admin staff are available to help with any problems or queries, Monday to Friday (note that Clinic is closed on Fridays).

There are two registered nurses who perform intradermal skin testing (for neutralisation) and carry out or assist with the administration of IV nutritional therapies.

We have two laboratory technicians, who are responsible for the maintenance of immunotherapy testing dilutions and support Dr Econs in the production of vaccines.

When you call the clinic you will talk to one of our four part-time administrators/receptionists, who will either deal with your enquiry, make a booking or pass you over to another department as appropriate.

Dr Apelles Econs MRCS LRCP

Medical Director

Dr Econs studied Medicine at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London, where he graduated in 1976. After working in a number of hospital posts, he entered NHS general practice, where he spent 22 years as a principal, also operating as a part-time allergy specialist since 1992. He has a wide ranging experience with management of dietary problems, the treatment of intestinal parasites, the use of oral and intravenous nutrition, dealing with chemically sensitive people and the use of all the modern methods of immunotherapy including the Enzyme Potentiated method (EPD), the Low-dose method (LDI) and the more “conventional” sub-lingual immunotherapy (SLIT).

Dr Econs is a long standing member of the British Society for Ecological Medicine and is registered with the General Medical Council and the General Naturopathic Council.

Dr Jenny Judge MB BS

Joins Dr Econs as Associate Consultant

Dr Judge is an experienced clinician, having worked in the NHS for 25 years. She graduated in Medicine in Newcastle upon Tyne and moved to London in 1997 to train in psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital. Dr Judge specialised and enjoyed a successful career in Forensic Psychiatry, where she provided long-term care for patients with complex mental conditions and, often, associated chronic “lifestyle-related” physical health issues. Over the years her interest in the numerous chronic physical conditions her patients were suffering from, grew.

Jenny had a personal reason to examine the deeper nature of chronic illness when she experienced a “Long Covid”. Having received treatment but no resolution of her core illness through mainstream Medicine, she used the services at The Burghwood Clinic. She found that the approach fit with a more accurate understanding of the illness and she was able to reap the benefits from treating the underlying causal factors of her symptoms, such as reactivities of the immune system.

Having seen this different approach to health care, Dr Judge decided to embrace it professionally and she has been working hard towards achieving this goal. Dr Judge is following the pathway of one of the British pioneers in this area of medicine as she has made this career shift: One of the early seminal books on food intolerances, “Not All in the Mind”, was authored by Dr Richard Mackarness, a psychiatrist in Basingstoke General Hospital, who was instrumental in bringing food intolerances to wider attention in Britain.

She has a longstanding interest in the importance of the gut microbiome in overall health, and in the role of chronic inflammation as the root underlying cause of many long-term conditions. She is familiar with using the patient’s own observations during the taking of a detailed clinical history as the basis for diagnosis, and so she is able to bring her wealth of clinical experience in using a person-centred approach to her role at The Burghwood Clinic.

Dr Judge is a member of the British Society of Ecological Medicine attending various postgraduate conferences focused on environmental factors affecting human health. She is available for consultations both in Ewell, as well as the satellite clinics in Leeds, London and Oxford.

Dr Judge is registered with the General Medical Council and the General Naturopathic Council.

Claire, RGN

Allergy Nurse

After completing her nursing degree at Southampton University and qualifying as a RGN in 1997, Claire spent the next twelve years working in various medical and surgical areas, to include a year nursing in Brisbane. After various post graduate courses to include critical care and high dependency nursing her interest started to move towards naturopathy and a more holistic approach to healthcare. Claire returned to college and spent a year learning about naturopathy and naturopathic nutrition, and subsequently joined The Burghwood Clinic in 2009 where she continues to practice Low Dose Immunotherapy. Claire also administers intravenous therapies.

Carmen, RGN

IV Clinic Nurse

Carmen joined the clinic in August 2009. She has had over twenty years of hospital-based nursing experience. She is responsible for the supply of injectibles and administration of intravenous therapies.

Stella

PA to Dr Econs / Senior Administrator

Stella is Dr Econs’ PA and joined the Clinic in March 2020. Her role is diverse and includes supporting him in his responsibilities for compliance with healthcare regulations and to liaise with and coordinate the clinic staff. She brings with her experience from a career as a police officer in the Metropolitan Police for 12 years and from the health sector where she worked for South East Coast Ambulance Service and NHS Digital for 20 years. In her spare time she likes to keep fit with road bike cycling with her husband and loves to do the Park Run.

Rachel

Receptionist / Administrator

Rachel has worked for Dr Econs since 1998 in both a GP practice and latterly in the former Thames Allergy Centre. She moved over to The Burghwood Clinic in March 2014 when the two clinics amalgamated. In this time, Rachel has gained considerable in-house knowledge of diets and nutrition and about the treatments and prescriptions available.

Rachel's accountabilities include the provision of administration support and attendance guidance for existing and prospective clients. In addition she books clinic appointments and manages communications between patients and clinical personnel.

Her friendly expertise is both welcoming and reassuring for visitors to the clinic.

Lesley

Receptionist / Administrator

Lesley started working at The Burghwood Clinic in 2005 and in this time has gained a great deal of knowledge of the treatments and prescriptions available.

Lesley is always on hand to deal with patient enquiries & queries and to manage communications between patients and clinical personnel. She also books clinic appointments and provides a great deal of administration support.

She has a warm & friendly manner and excels at creating a good rapport with new and existing patients.

Sue

Senior Laboratory Technician

Sue started at the clinic in 1993 following twelve years working as a science technician with the Research & Development division of a multinational pharmaceutical company. Sue does venepuncture and has considerable in-house expertise of making up allergy skin testing solutions and neutralising vaccines. She is responsible for processing various tests and test results for our clients.

Anna

Laboratory Technician

Anna is familiar with and takes a keen interest in complementary healthcare. Along with the Laboratory Technician, she is responsible for maintaining testing dilutions used in low dose immunotherapy. A mother of three, Anna likes to keep fit and enjoys travelling.

Lauren

Receptionist / Technician

Lauren joined the Clinic in early 2019 having gained experience in a large NHS hospital. She is involved in our Reception and in processing our test results.