Why Animation is Transforming Healthcare Communication
At Carse & Waterman Productions, we’ve seen first-hand how animation is transforming the way the healthcare sector communicates. Following on from our last post about health and safety in the workplace, we’re turning our focus to how animation for healthcare is helping NHS trusts and research institutions across the UK engage patients, inform staff, and explain complex medical information with clarity and compassion.
In a world of overwhelming medical jargon and increasingly diverse patient needs, animation stands out as a visually engaging, accessible, and effective communication tool. According to a 2022 study published in Patient Education and Counseling, patients who viewed health-related animated videos had a 35% increase in understanding compared to those who received only written leaflets. Another report from Health Education England noted that animated content is three times more likely to be remembered than static or text-based information. This is exactly why organisations like the NHS, King’s College London, and other healthcare providers continue to turn to animation to deliver important messages that are accurate, clear, and memorable.
Client: Keele University
We’ve recently completed two major healthcare projects that demonstrate the power of this approach. For King’s College London, we produced an animated film breaking down the findings of a dementia clinical trial—an initiative aimed at making the results more accessible for patients, families, and advocacy organisations. In another extensive collaboration, we worked with the NHS to produce over 60 animations for an app designed to support individuals undergoing treatment for social anxiety. These short videos were built into the app’s therapy modules and co-developed with NHS clinicians to ensure medical accuracy, ethical integrity, and patient relevance.
Beyond these projects, we’ve created a wide range of healthcare animations including content for patient education, clinical trial summaries, staff training, internal communications, public health campaigns, and app-based treatment tools. Whether it’s explaining how a new treatment works or supporting patients on their mental health journey, animation enables healthcare providers to communicate clearly and effectively across diverse audiences and literacy levels.
Our process begins with direct collaboration with medical professionals, NHS communications teams, or academic researchers. We spend time understanding the clinical context, reviewing materials, and identifying the key messages that need to be conveyed. From there, we develop scripts and storyboards with clarity and tone in mind—every line is reviewed for accuracy and simplicity without sacrificing scientific integrity. Once approved, we bring the visuals to life in a style that is approachable and inclusive, and we always submit the final animations for review by stakeholders to ensure they meet the highest standards for compliance and care.
Client: Royal Society of Pathologists
Healthcare messaging demands precision, empathy, and trust—and that’s why animation works so well. It captures attention, enhances understanding, and improves retention, all while making complex ideas more human and more relatable. For NHS trusts and institutions like King’s College London, animation has proven to be not just effective, but essential in meeting modern communication challenges.
At Carse & Waterman Productions, we’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most respected names in healthcare, research, and academia. Our healthcare animation clients include the Royal College of Pathologists, UK Biobank, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, King’s College London, Keele University, Staffordshire University, Southampton University, Northampton University, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, and NHS Trusts across the country. These partnerships reflect the trust placed in us to communicate complex and sensitive topics clearly, responsibly, and creatively.
If your healthcare organisation is looking to improve how you communicate with patients, staff, or the wider public, we’d love to help. From world-leading universities to major pharmaceutical organisations, our clients trust us to bring medical messaging to life with clarity, creativity, and care. Get in touch with Carse & Waterman today to find out how we can support your next project.