Kathryn took up post as the Director of Nursing for NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) and Director of Nursing for Public Health Scotland in February 2025.

Prior to this Kathryn has had a joint role as a Nurse Director in NHS Tayside and Professional Adviser in Scottish Government working in the Chief Nursing Officers Directorate as part of the Policy Team leading the Health Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 and Excellence in Care, and supporting the National eRostering implementation, providing professional leadership, advice, and guidance to these, and other programmes in Government. The balance of working in Government and in Board has been positive, enabling shared learning and strengthening connections between policy and healthcare delivery.

Kathryn attended Queen Margaret College in Edinburgh and on graduating enjoyed a successful and rewarding career working in a number of NHS Hospitals and Trusts in England, broadening her experience within different areas of clinical practice before developing expertise within Oncology & Haematology nursing. Kathryn returned to Scotland in 2004 and following a short-term post at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, moved to the role of Clinical Nurse Manager at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre where she remained for 9 enriching years. Subsequent to this, Kathryn was employed as Head of Nursing for Quality, and interim Associate Nurse Director in NHS Fife, where she worked closely with colleagues to support the introduction of revalidation for registrants in NHS Fife, promote and empower professional leadership and quality improvement, as well as enable patient safety, reduced harm and promote person centred approaches to care. Kathryn then moved North to join NHS Tayside initially as Associate Nurse Director for the Dundee geography providing professional leadership to both acute and community services, before moving into the Operational Nurse Director role.

Kathryn is an advocate of lifelong learning and has had the opportunity to share in both formal education and training, as well as benefit from the range of opportunities and experiences nursing practice and healthcare offers. Kathryn is led by her values and is committed to providing the best care and services, and keeping people, patients and staff at the centre of everything we do.

Outside work Kathryn enjoys living in beautiful Fife with her husband, sailing, dog walking and being a mum to two boys.