Jo Waters ~ Freelance Health Journalist & Editorial Consultant 

Summary: Freelance writer and editorial consultant with proven track record as a writer, news editor and features editor in newspapers, medical trade press and consumer women’s magazines. I have specialised in health for 15 years and my skills include magazine  and newspaper feature writing, researching backgrounders, commissioning writers and writing press materials and web copy plus covering conferences. I also write real-life features, celeb interviews and in-depth investigative features.

Relevant Experience: 1999- 2010 Freelance health writer for women’s consumer magazines and newspapers including Daily Mail Good Health, Marie Claire, Essentials,  Saga Health Channel,Source, The Pharmacist, British Medical Journal  Boots Health Club, Prima, Practical Parenting, Yours, Health Plus, Mother and Baby , Pregnancy and Birth, Spirit and Destiny,  Woman, Women’s Weekly,  Woman's Own Summer Specials, Marie Claire Health and Beauty, Prima Baby and Top Sante.

Recent projects include a new book on family health which is being published by Flametree Publishing in April 2010. I also wrote some of the medical section of Emma’s Diary www.emmasdiary.com, a booklet produced by the Royal College of General Practitioners to give to every pregnant woman in the UK.

I'm also a copy writer for corporate clients, specialising in medical projects for pharmaceutical companies and PR agencies such as Londonsea PR, Hayhurst Media and Ogilvy PR, writing press packs, bespoke web copy and booklets, as well as covering conferences. Recent projects include copywriting for Persil's baby skin care web site www.washawayyourworries.com and a new website on constipation.

Have also written for Babycentre.co.uk and Contentedbaby.com web sites. In 2004 I co-authored a book with an eminent gynaecologist on alternatives to hysterectomies called ‘Preserving your Womb’ (Bladon Medical Publishing 2004), which was highly commended in the 2005 BMA Book Awards.
 
I also write travel articles for www.entertainthekids.com and Yours magazine.

2004- 2009: Health editor and then senior contributing news writer for Yours magazine

1998- 1999: Features editor at Top Sante magazine, the best selling women’s monthly magazine, responsible for commissioning, writing and editing health pages.

1997- 1998: Features editor at Pregnancy and Birth Magazine, commissioning, writing and editing features.

1995-1997: Freelance news and feature writer for Doctor,Hospital Doctor, Nursing Times, British Medical Journal News Section, Community Care, the Doctor’s Post, Research in Action, Community Nurse, Health Service Journal and Best and Women’s Realm.

1991- 95: Worked for Haymarket Medical as a writer then news editor on GP, the weekly magazine for Britain’s 45,000 plus GPs and lastly as deputy editor of Fundholding magazine.

1989-1991: Worked for Wessex Regional Health Authority’s communications team as press officer and editor of the quarterly staff newspaper Link.

1987-1989: Health reporter on the Southern Daily Echo, a five edition a day daily paper based in Southampton.

1986-1987: Junior reporter on the North Devon Journal Herald, Barnstaple.

Qualifications
National Council for the Training of Journalists Proficiency Certificate ( 1987)
100 wpm NCTJ tee-line Shorthand
Clean driving licence
LLB Bachelor of Laws degree( second class honours) Leicester Polytechnic ( 1985)
3 ‘A ‘levels in English, History, and Geography (1982)

Education
1985/6 :Graduate Centre for Journalism, City University, London 1985/6
1982-85: Leicester Polytechnic, School of Law.
1975 -1982 Bideford School and Community College

Books:I'm the co-author of 'Preserving your Womb' by Peter O'Donovan and Jo Waters( Bladon Medical Publishing £12.99, available on Amazon.co.uk, (click here) which won Highly Commended in the BMA Book Awards 2005. It's a book about alternatives to hysterectomies aimed at women who are trying to avoid drastic surgery.