Dr. Lily Lai

  • PhD Chinese Medicine in Primary Care (University of Southampton)

  • BSc (Hons) Traditional Chinese Medicine (Middlesex University)

  • Bachelor of Medicine (Beijing) TCM (Beijing University)

Clinical and Academic Associations with:

About Lily

I offer natural solutions to health problems and am passionate about helping patients achieve their absolute best when it comes to health. 

Patients consistently value the whole-systems approach to health that I incorporate into each treatment and the attention to detail I provide to every patient. I have lectured internationally and draw from a huge range of experience working in both NHS and private settings in London, Beijing and Singapore. I’m an advocate for integrative medicine and am proud to have built a reputation over the last 21 years as a trusted expert in the field who works closely and collaboratively with other healthcare practitioners.

A little about me

I grew up in Cheshire and having parents from Hong Kong, I have always been surrounded by traditional Chinese views of health. Whenever I had a cough, foods like roast dinners and hot spices like chilli and ginger were avoided. If I had a stomach ache, rice congee and hot drinks would be there to nurse my stomach back to health. My uncle was himself a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner based in Manchester Chinatown and whilst I’d always been interested in health, it wasn’t until I was 17 that I became serious about it as a career when my late father was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. The chemotherapy was working brilliantly for him at the time, but he was suffering from some terrible side-effects. My uncle came to the rescue and after treatment with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, my dad was himself again within a matter of weeks and able to tolerate chemotherapy for many more years.

I was inspired by the strength of this gentle yet powerful medicine working alongside mainstream medicine - and so began my journey into Chinese medicine!

Clinical and academic background

I first qualified in 2005 with a double degree in traditional Chinese medicine awarded jointly by Middlesex University (London) and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. I was then sponsored by the NHS and NIHR to conduct PhD medical research and was awarded my PhD in 2015 by the University of Southampton Primary Care department for my clinical research into the effects of Chinese herbs for polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This was the first clinical study on traditional Chinese herbal prescribing and PMOS to be carried out in the UK and was subsequently published in BMJ Open. 

I’ve now been in private practice for over 21 years and am particularly well known for my expertise in women’s health and hormonal conditions such as PMOS/PCOS, endometriosis and fertility issues, especially alongside IVF. I first established my practice in Hertfordshire before moving back to Cheshire and now work in the leafy suburbs of Bowdon in Altrincham, Cheshire.  Since 2010, I've worked with GPs and health researchers to develop more scientific evidence for herbal medicine and acupuncture, both of which are seriously under-researched despite the widespread use in the UK.

I believe strongly in the importance of raising the quality and awareness of the evidence-base for acupuncture and Chinese medicine. This has included working with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to review complementary medicine approaches for chronic pelvic pain. I am a visiting research fellow at the University of Southampton, a member of the prestigious research-intensive Russell Group, and have presented at over 100 national and international conferences and co-authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications relating to PMOS/PCOS, chronic pelvic pain, Chinese medicine, acupuncture and Western herbal medicine. I thoroughly enjoy engaging with local communities and present talks and seminars to local healthcare groups, schools and patient support groups raising awareness about health and self-care in general, as well as specifically about acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

In April 2020 I was the research lead for the Jadescreen Project (JSP), a not-for-profit venture established to offer free Chinese herbal medicine to frontline workers affected by COVID-19. I was proud to be working alongside researchers from the University of Western Sydney and Harvard on the update to the 2023 International Evidence-based Guidelines on the Assessment and Management of PMOS/PCOS. I am currently involved with a range of academic projects including acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) with the Christie’s Cancer Research Unit in Manchester; a Cochrane systematic review on acupuncture for menopausal hot flushes with the University of Western Sydney in Australia; and the importance of the consultation process in Chinese medicine with Kings College London.

I currently teach undergraduate and Masters students at the Northern College of Acupuncture in York, White Crane Academy in London and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in China on evidence-based medicine, philosophy and prescribing Chinese herbal medicine and am really proud to work as a mentor for acupuncture and Chinese medicine practitioners. In May 2026 I was invited to speak in Germany on the clinical management of ADHD in both children and adults and on reproductive health covering recurrent implantation failure and PMOS. In late 2026 I will be teaching evidence-based approach to evaluating cancer care at the Christie’s Cancer Care Centre, the impact of the recent data-driven PMOS subtypes in clinical practice at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and on Chinese herbal prescribing strategies in the management of PMOS/PCOS to doctoral students at the world-renowned Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Los Angeles.

 Clinical Training & Experience

I've gained clinical experience working in a range of private and NHS settings including:

 Professional Membership

I'm registered with the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) and the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM), two of the leading professional bodies of traditional acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the UK that recognise only degree-level certifications in Chinese medicine. The BAcC is the only Chinese medicine body in the UK recognised by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), an independent body established by UK Parliament to protect the public by overseeing the regulation of healthcare professionals. BAcC members are trusted by major insurance providers and NHS employers, giving you confidence in the quality and safety of care  Furthermore, I prescribe Chinese herbal medicines only from RCHM-approved suppliers who must meet minimum quality and safety standards and pass rigorous inspection procedures from independent auditors.  

I am a practitioner member of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), a leading research organisation for reproductive and gynaecological medical specialists, and am proud to work as an advisor to the Research Council for Complementary Medicine, a charity organisation that supports building the evidence-base in traditional, complementary and integrative medical therapies like acupuncture and Chinese herbs. During my time in London and Hertfordshire, I gained extensive experience working closely with NHS pain clinics, world-leading IVF clinics in London and Cambridge including the Lister Fertility Clinic, ARGC, CRGH and Bourn Hall and cancer settings including Mount Vernon Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre in Hertfordshire and the Royal Marsden in London.

Lily is inspiring, authentic and an expert in her field! She empowers a person to take better control of their health without being intrusive. 

Physiotherapist