Ambassador Biographies
Ali Ayliffe-Jessup
Nursing Associate Ambassador
Ali qualified as a Nursing Associate in January 2024. Ali has a BEd (Hons) degree in teaching and was a reception teacher for 13 years. After raising two children, Ali started working at Southwell Medical Centre and has been there for twelve years training as a Health Care Assistant during that time. The Nursing Associate Apprenticeship route was an ideal opportunity to develop her career and she began it in January 2022.
Ali is keen to promote the Nursing Associate role as a career pathway in Nursing and how the role can enhance primary care workforces. Ali promotes the benefits of health lifestyle choices to her patients and keeps active herself by walking, running and circuits classes.
Simran Bhardwaj
Physician Associate Ambassador
Simran has been a qualified Physician Associate since 2021, first completing a four-year integrated BSc Human Biology degree then progressing onto a two-year MSc Physician Associate Studies in 2021 at De Montfort University. Simran is part of Nottingham City GP Alliance where she initially enrolled and completed the preceptorship programme and is now situated in Bestwood and Sherwood PCN (PCN 5) working across multiple practises as a PA. She has since started a social media page on TikTok @PAthesimway where she shares her experiences from being a student all the way through to a working qualified PA and regularly engages with the PA/PA student community answering questions and offering advice. Many students have found this a valuable way to get an insight into the world of being a PA and what it entails.
Simran is a keen PA role model and helping pave the future for PAs, spreading awareness and creating opportunities. Please drop her an email or message on social media for further information.
Laura Bryden (on maternity leave)
First Contact Practitioner / AHP Ambassador
Laura is one of two First Contact Practitioner / AHP Ambassadors to join our ARRS Ambassadors team. She qualified as a Physiotherapist in 2005. Initially working as a rotational Physiotherapist in a large NHS hospital and later moving to specialise in musculoskeletal health as a Physiotherapist employed by the military. In 2015, she took some time out to study for an MSc and on completion she took a job as a trainee Extended Scope Practitioner. After five years of working in a musculoskeletal interim triage service, she wanted a change and so moved to work as First Contact Practitioner (FCP) in primary care, employed by PICS. A job she has learnt to really enjoy. When she is not at work, she tries to stay fit and calm with running and yoga.
Desi Gillespie
First Contact Practitioner / AHP Ambassador
Desi is the First Contact Practitioner / AHP Ambassador on our ARRS Ambassadors team. In her Primary Care role, Desi currently works as a First Contact Physiotherapist (FCP) and holds the Advanced Clinical Practitioner digital badge. Within her Occupational Therapist (OT) clinical lead role, she supports all OTs, physical and mental, through the NHS England FCP Roadmap. She leads the recruitment, line-management and clinical development of FCP Mental Health OTs in Primary Care including starting Band 6 Developmental posts.
Alongside this she works at the University of Nottingham Sports Injury Clinic in a Sports Medicine role, supporting students and clinicians in their learning journey.
She has a BSc(Hons), MSc Sports and Exercise Medicine, MSK Peripheral Joint Injector, has completed the FCP Roadmap, and is a Roadmap Supervisor. She has experience working in elite sport including England Netball and GB Paralympic Shooting, alongside working in Primary Care.
Darcie Parry
Care Coordinator Ambassador
Care Co-Ordinator Ambassador focusing on spreading awareness of the Care Co-Ordinator role. She aims to promote the benefits/outcomes available if the role is utilised correctly, training/development opportunities and the career pathways for Care Co-Ordinators.
She aims to develop a Peer Support Network so that Care Co-Ordinators can have a platform to talk about their roles and the opportunities they can access or promote in their PCNs.
