Hi, I'm Catherine...
and I believe patient-focused writing should be clear and accessible, giving patients the language they need to advocate for themselves.
My work sits at the point where medical content meets the patient.
I make sure the information patients receive is clear, accurate, and genuinely useful, and that their voices are heard by the organisations that serve them.
That means plain language medical writing, patient-insights reporting, and helping patient advocacy groups make informed decisions about using AI in their work.
Why Work With Me?
Academic Depth
I have a strong academic background in patient communication and writing for healthcare, and extensive experience putting theory into practice. I’m a pro with health literacy, plain language, readability, and document design for healthcare information.
Empowering Writing
The most common feedback I receive is that my texts are consistently well-written, with the right message and tone. I translate complex data into accessible information in a way that empowers patients without patronising them.
Genuine Connection
I form strong relationships with the patients, patient focus groups, and clinicians that I work with. I’m a passionate advocate for our right to have access to comprehensive information about our health. I care deeply about the patient experience, and you’ll find evidence of this in every word that I write.
I Bring More Than 20 Years of Experience to Client Projects
I've worked with medical publishers and communication agencies, pharmaceutical giants, clinical research organisations, and patient advocacy groups, so I understand the different perspectives and requirements that shape patient-facing content.
My background spans healthcare writing, plain language evaluation, patient insight reporting, and training — underpinned by doctoral research in corpus linguistics and patient information.
I understand the unique challenges of communicating with patients, and I bring a rare combination of practical experience and academic rigour to every project.
My Career Highlights Include…
Manager of the Fast Facts patient resource series, a PIF-Ticked portfolio of plain language publications spanning multiple therapy areas
Plain language evaluator, healthcare writer, and editor for pharmaceutical and publishing clients
Medical English and communication trainer for healthcare professionals (18 years)
Co-founder and president of the European Association of Language Teachers for Healthcare (EALTHY)
20+
If you’re looking for a passionate, experienced patient communication expert for your next project, I’d love to hear from you.
YEARS IN HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATION
“I bring a rare combination of practical experience and academic rigour to every project.”
A Love of Linguistics & Languages
I was born and raised in England and Wales but have lived half my life outside the UK. I love languages and speak fluent Italian as well as some French and Greek.
The Person
My PhD in corpus linguistics grew out of a very specific question: why do patients struggle to understand the information they're given? I was already teaching communication skills to healthcare professionals and knew the research landscape around healthcare interactions.
The Question
I wanted to use computational methods to examine the language of patient information itself. That research set the direction for everything I've done since.
The Outcome
Languages Spoken
English (native)
Italian (fluent)
French
Greek
What My Clients Say
I have worked with Catherine on a number of medical education projects in women’s health over the last few years.
She works efficiently, our projects have never been delayed, and she is consistently accommodating of a demanding clinical schedule, often meeting at short notice. I would confidently recommend her for patient-facing medical writing.
— Paula Briggs, Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Women’s Health,
Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, UK
