Q. Tell us a bit about yourself, and what your areas of expertise are in your role as a Thornfields trainer / associate and part of the FPM Group family?

I’m Tracy Simpson, 50 years old and I’ve been a Business Manager/Partner for 21 years. Prior to working in General Practice, I was an Administrator in Primary Care for 13 years. The skills and knowledge I have gained over the 21 years has stood me in good stead for sharing information with other colleagues in a Primary Care setting. I’m also the Chair of our local Practice Managers Association, as well as a Training Practice Lay Visitor.

Q. How did you come to be a Thornfields Associate?

The truth of the matter is that I have a passion for sharing information and wanting to make peoples’ lives easier. I thought, “what better way than teaching the future of general practice staff?” Whilst visiting other practices I found there are lots of good ideas which I felt needed sharing and hopefully with this background knowledge I can share these through teaching.

Q. How did you feel when you first started, and what advice would you have today for new trainers or those considering the role?

Nervous! I remember on my very first course that my stomach was in knots. I arrived 3 hours earlier than I had to be, was set up in about 20 minutes and spent 2 hours feeling sick.

Once the attendees started arriving, I slowly eased into it and although this was something that took me out my comfort zone, I slowly adapted and ended up having a great time, as everyone shared their views and ideas.

Don’t be scared – you know your stuff! Public speaking is probably the part that scares most people, but this comes in time as your confidence grows. I look forward to sessions now and as I say in every session, this is a two-way street, and we will both learn from today’s session. 

Q. And now, as an experienced trainer, what are your feelings about the role?

I really enjoy seeing the satisfaction on peoples’ faces “when the penny drops”. I also feel most of the clients - once they know you’re doing the job - do trust the process and acknowledge the experience you are sharing.

Q. What have the main changes been since you became a trainer for us?

Initially all our training courses were face to face (which I loved) but then Covid hit, which resulted in a completely different way of teaching and learning – online! Again the nerves came straight back at the first online course I completed, as we all know IT is only good when it works. Adapting to this change was a huge challenge for me and continues to be, as updates happen overnight. One day you could be teaching on MS Teams, and the next it looks completely different – adapting is key!

Q. What one thing would you tell yourself now if you could go back in time to the start of your career?

Be prepared for change and reflection. My whole career has changed so much since day one and it is completely different now to what we had to do all those years ago. I still love the challenge of not knowing what you’re going into each day. As we grow in our own roles it’s great knowing you have achieved what you have built, by not only managing this, but by supporting all our wonderful staff to enable them to be better in their roles.

Q. You must have seen and been involved in many success stories – have any stood out in particular?

During my time as a Practice Manager, I remember a local practice being handed back to the Health Board and I thought “yeah we can take them over...” We did this, and although this challenge was one of the hardest times in my career, once we adapted to the change and the move into new premises it was all worth it. I do remember saying “never again would I do that” but only last year I did it again and took over half of another practice. The challenge was immense and hard work, however 21 years ago I was managing 5 staff and 3,400 patients — and I now manage 23 staff and look after 12,000 patients. Reflecting on this, we have come a long way and without the support of my staff I couldn’t have done it.

Q. Is there a particular individual who has had a big impact on your career, or your role as a trainer, that you’d like to thank?

I have 2 main people I would like to thank for different reasons. During my career I met my husband Ken, who was my rock and believed in me and taught me that nothing was too difficult (even through the trying times). He had his own business and understood the importance of all my thoughts going through most of these changes and I certainly would not have believed in myself as much as I did if it wasn’t for him. For my training aspect of my career, it would be my colleague Les - who sadly died suddenly – and who was also a Practice Manager was the one that said, “Tracy, you would make a good trainer.” Before that I never thought I could… he was the one that pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me realise sometimes you need to be pushed to gain the benefits. He was behind me applying to Thornfields, and he always said “you don’t see what we see you - need to share your knowledge with others.”

Q. How would you sum up the Thornfields team? What do you put Thornfield’s success in the marketplace down to?

Thornfields as a group are extremely supportive, they guide you all the way from booking the sessions to completing them and anything in between. They are very approachable and nothing is too much work for them. They welcome lots of ideas, and appreciate that it can be difficult with more sessions being held online. However, they support where they can to help with any issues that may arise, even at very short notice when IT isn’t working. The group are knowledgeable and always looking for ways to improve ways in which we can help others in their role. It also comes down to taking lots of feedback and information, and sharing this with others, as well as the trainers. You are not just a trainer for the day - they support and guide you anytime, not just when you’re teaching.

Q. And finally… how do you relax at the end of a busy day?

Sometimes it can be very difficult to relax after a very long day, however after 21 years I do try to ensure my work-life balance is managed to allow me to take time out. I do exercise most nights and go out for an early morning walk before work (fair weather only! this sets me up for the day). I spend my spare time with my kids and grandchildren and I always try to have one day (rest day is normally Sunday) whereby I catch up on all my programmes and relax doing so – it’s the only day my husband lets me have the remote!

If you think you have what it takes to be a Thornfields Associate, we can’t wait to hear from you! Please visit our website to see details on the full range of courses we offer. For more information and to apply, please send your CV and a covering letter to Thornfields@firstpracticemanagement.co.uk