Prof Richards was appointed as Chair of the National Eating Disorders Network by the Minister for Mental Health at the end of Oct 2023. In this role Cathy works 1 day per week, alongside the two clinical advisors and Scottish Government colleagues. Prior to undertaking this role Cathy was Lead Clinician and Head of Psychology of the Lothian CAMHS service . Cathy also worked with the Scottish Government as a CAMHS advisor and chaired the CAMHS Lead Clinician and Managers group . Cathy also has an active interest in research and was appointed as Honorary Chair by the University of Edinburgh in 2018