Barbara McLaughlan

Barbara has been appointed Senior Counsel to H/Advisors Cicero’s Global Public Affairs Health Team. She has more than 25 years’ experience in health policy and campaigning at UK, European and EMEA level working in agency, charities and the pharma industry, covering Government Affairs, patient advocacy, communications and corporate social responsibility. Barbara is supporting the health team with strategic advice and analysis based on her experience of working in a wide range of disease areas (oncology, rare diseases, eye conditions) and industrial policy. Her time in the pharma industry adds particularly valuable insights to the team. A linguist who has lived in Germany, Japan, Belgium and the UK, Barbara understands the importance of cultural awareness in working with global teams on programmes that need to be adaptable to local needs.

Barbara is passionate about patient engagement, equity and diversity, mentoring, and community cohesion. She provides pro-bono advice to the European Institute of Women’s Health and Cancer Patients Europe, volunteers at her local community hub leading a small team of volunteers who produce the Hub-made food, and mentors young people from disadvantaged backgrounds aspiring to a career in public relations.

Barbara started her career in teaching about European integration and German unification before moving into public affairs in the UK. Her campaigning successes include changes to the design of Euro coins to make them easier to use for blind and partially sighted people, securing access to a sight-saving medicine to hundreds of patients prior to its approval by NICE, the reform of the Cancer Drugs Fund in the UK and the inclusion of prostate cancer screening in the 2022 EU Recommendations on cancer screening. She worked for the Novartis Oncology Division in the UK and the EMEA and Established Markets Regions at Astellas before becoming and independent advisor.