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Having worked with Jo for a number of years, I can vouch for her skills with language and communication in the pharmaceutical and medical arenas. Jo edits very clearly with the end-user in mind and can get to the point in a succinct and concise way. A great addition to a team, who can be relied on to deliver quality.

Anthony Hitchiner, Scientific Communications and Analysis

Medical editing services

I provide copyediting, proofreading and editorial quality assurance for medical and healthcare content.

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Some clients come to me with an early draft that needs a thorough edit. Others have material that's been through several rounds of review and simply want an experienced editor to give it one final check.

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I’m happy to work at either end of that spectrum – or anywhere in between.

 

If you're not sure what level of editing you need, send me the material and I'll suggest the most appropriate approach.

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Copyediting

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Copyediting goes beyond correcting spelling, grammar and punctuation. I look at the document as a whole, checking that the language is clear, the terminology and style are consistent, and the text says what the author intends it to say.

 

Depending on the brief, I can check:

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  • grammar, spelling and punctuation

  • clarity and readability

  • consistency of terminology

  • abbreviations and definitions

  • headings, tables, figures and cross-references

  • adherence to house or client style

  • obvious inconsistencies or ambiguities within the text

 

I edit carefully rather than rewriting for the sake of it. The aim is to improve the material while preserving the author's meaning, voice and level of technical detail.

Proofreading

 

Sometimes a document doesn't need editing. It just needs a meticulous final check.

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I proofread finished or near-final material for typographical errors, inconsistencies, formatting problems and anything else that may have slipped through earlier rounds of review.

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I can work in Word, PowerPoint or PDF and am used to checking both text and designed materials.

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Proofreading is particularly useful before publication, submission, client delivery or sign-off – when you want someone who hasn't been immersed in the project to look at it afresh.

References and citations

 

References can be surprisingly time-consuming, particularly in long or complex medical documents.

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I can check and format references and citations, including:

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  • consistency between citations and reference lists

  • missing or duplicated references

  • citation numbering and order

  • reference formatting

  • journal-title abbreviations

  • DOIs and other bibliographic details

  • adherence to styles such as Vancouver and AMA

 

 

Where source verification is required, we can agree the scope before work begins.

Editorial quality assurance

 

A document may already have been written, edited and reviewed several times and still benefit from one final independent check.

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I can review medical content for consistency, clarity and editorial accuracy before it is published, submitted or delivered.

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This can be particularly useful for complex documents involving multiple authors or rounds of revision, or for content that has been produced or edited using AI.

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I look for the things that are easy to miss when you've been working closely with a document: inconsistent terminology, contradictory statements, unexplained abbreviations, missing information, awkward wording, reference problems and changes that have introduced new errors.​

Plain-English editing

 

Medical information doesn't have to sound complicated to be accurate.

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I edit technical and specialist material for non-specialist audiences, removing unnecessary complexity while preserving the medical meaning.

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That might involve patient information, public-health materials, websites, educational resources or any other content that needs to communicate medical information clearly to a wider audience.

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The aim isn't to oversimplify. It's to make the information easier to understand.

What can I edit?

Over the years, I've worked on a very wide range of medical and healthcare material, including:

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  • medical communications

  • books and textbooks

  • journal articles and manuscripts

  • slide decks and presentations

  • reports and guidance

  • public-health publications

  • patient and HCP materials

  • training and educational materials

  • medical news and features

  • medico-legal reports for expert witnesses

  • websites and digital content

 

This isn't an exhaustive list. If your project involves medicine, healthcare or the life sciences and needs an experienced editorial eye, please ask.

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Not sure what you need?

You don't need to know whether your project needs copyediting, proofreading or something in between before you contact me.

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Send me a sample, tell me where the document is in its development and what you need it to achieve, and I'll recommend the most appropriate level of editorial support.

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What will it cost?

My standard rate is £45 per hour. For larger or clearly defined projects, I'm also happy to provide a fixed quote. If you send me the material, or a representative sample, I can give you an idea of the likely cost before we get started.

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