Sam Clark

I started my healthcare career with BUPA, joining them in 1991 in their Customer Services department.  I was then recruited to join a nationwide team of BUPA Members Patients Advisors; this was a new initiative, placing Advisors in all BUPA Hospitals Nationwide.

After a maternity career break I returned to healthcare and joined a GP Practice in Suffolk. During this time, I began studying for the AMSPAR Diploma in Primary Care Management which I completed in 2008 and was as pleased as punch to gain a distinction in all areas. I was rewarded for this by receiving the AMSPAR Presidents prize for Student of the Year 2008 – which I couldn’t have done without my fantastic colleagues and 2 brilliant trainers, Pauline Webdale and Pauline Young.

During my time as a PM in a rural Suffolk practice, we successfully fought off an independent pharmacy application.  The practice was 97% dispensing, and our patients very much relied on the practice being a ‘one stop shop’ and being able to collect their medication immediately after seeing their GP.  Had the pharmacy application gone through, this benefit to our patients would have been lost.   We also successfully implemented the Dispensing Services Quality Scheme, resulting in higher standards and practice income.

In August of 2008, I joined East Barnwell Health Centre, Cambridge as Practice and Health Centre Manager.   The practice is a teaching practice and plays hosts on a regular basis to GP Registrars and Medical Students from the local University Trust.  The patient demographics are quite diverse and challenging and I love being part of this very close knit team whose sole purpose is to provide the best patient care and support they can.