Dr Katharine Jones is an experienced GP with big ideas about changing the way we think about health and healing. Her journey, spanning three decades in medicine, has led her to found Wild-Ness Health, an unusual business initiative dedicated to transforming healthcare into a more realistic and sustainable endeavour. Through her experiences, she challenges traditional paradigms and highlights the role of balance, community, and personal empowerment in achieving true wellness.
Dr Jones’s career has been as diverse as it is inspiring, with roles ranging from academia to GP partnership to, more recently, a role as an Associate Medical Director in NHS Highland. However, her stint in leadership left her grappling with the immensity of systemic inertia. Despite her energy and creativity, she found it difficult to effect meaningful change in a bureaucracy laden with checks and balances. This struggle took a personal toll, manifesting in a distressing, unexplained skin condition—a stark reminder of how professional pressures can impact personal well-being.
“Stop waiting for the system to fix you. Take the reins of your recovery.”
Her turning point came with the realisation that she needed to leave her leadership role and reassess her own health. It was during this period of vulnerability that Dr Jones first stumbled across the terms neuroplasticity and mind-body medicine. Just four sessions of coaching created a new awareness of her ability to overcome thoughts and feelings that were holding her back and “unlearn” long-held beliefs about her role as a doctor.
Wild-Ness has since evolved into a unique collective of health professionals, creative artists, and people with lived experience on a mission to redefine health as our ability to cope with pain and illness, whilst challenging narratives that promote dependence and push the NHS and its workforce to breaking point.
“Healing isn’t about fixing symptoms—it’s about learning to thrive amidst life’s inevitable challenges.”
Central to Wild-Ness is the recognition of the profound impact of lived experiences. Dr Jones highlights inspiring cases, such as a retired headteacher who overcame chronic pain and avoided knee replacement surgery by adopting a mind-body approach. With minimal medical intervention, this patient reclaimed her quality of life by practicing techniques to promote neuroplasticity and break a cycle of fear and pain that was wrecking her life.
“From chronic pain to reclaiming life: Learn how small, self-empowering changes can lead to massive transformations. The time for a radical change in healthcare is now.”
Wild-Ness also showcases the power of community, collaborating with small businesses to offer workshops in yoga, plant-based cooking, and nature connection, creating a local wellbeing economy while enhancing individual health. These community-driven efforts exemplify the shift from dependency on healthcare systems to self-sustaining practices that people can adopt at home.
“The greatest prescription I can offer isn’t a drug; it’s hope and empowerment.”
Creating momentum for radical ideas in a traditional system is not without its challenges, particularly when many colleagues feel overwhelmed by a “broken system” in which change feels hopeless. Yet, Dr Jones remains optimistic, inspired by the support of like-minded individuals and the growing interest in her work.
“Radical ideas aren’t scary; but clinging to a broken system is.”
The Sustainable Healer Conference, scheduled for March 2025, will bring together health professionals, community leaders, and people with lived experience to explore new narratives about health. With a focus on collaboration and actionable change, the conference aims to inspire attendees to implement small but impactful changes in their personal lives, their clinical practice, and their local communities.
“‘What do you want your life to look like?’ A simple question that holds the key to self-directed healing and purpose-driven living.”
Dr Jones’s message is clear: the time has come to rethink healthcare. By embracing a more realistic, sustainable model, she says we can create a system that not only treats illness and disease but also fosters resilience and wellbeing. Wild-Ness is more than a concept—it is a movement that invites everyone, from professionals to patients, to become agents of change.
Dr Katharine Jones’s journey from systemic disillusionment to a sense of hope and optimism for a sustainable NHS is a testament to the power of curiosity and collaboration. Wild-Ness seeks to empower health professionals in influencing change for the benefit of their own health and that of their patients.
To find out more about Wild-Ness Health and the ‘The Sustainable Healer” Conference’ click here