Meet the team

I’m Sara James, Chief Operating Officer for Thornbury Nursing Services. With over two decades of experience in the healthcare industry, I am dedicated to ensuring the seamless functioning of our operations and the achievement of our strategic objectives. Alongside maintaining operational excellence, I am committed to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration throughout the organisation.

I am driven by a deep passion for delivering exceptional service quality and supporting healthcare professionals. My journey began in 1999 when I joined Thornbury as Operations Manager. The following year I became Managing Director. With a background as a Registered Nurse in both the UK and the USA, my career was centred around cardiac and general ICU, as well as hospital management.

I’m Rachel Trueman, Nurse Staffing Director for Thornbury Nursing, the Scottish Nursing Guild and Pulse. I joined Thornbury Nursing in 2001 as a Placement Coordinator whilst I considered what I wanted to do next with my nursing career and have never looked back! I’m grateful for the diverse experience I’ve gained managing various departments within TNS, as well as our sister company the Scottish Nursing Guild, which has been vital in paving my path to Director level.

My role is forever changing, which keeps things very varied and interesting. I work with a great bunch of people, both internally and those who represent us working for the agency. I find it very rewarding knowing we are providing experienced and high-quality staff to clinical areas that may otherwise have to go without.

I’m Andrew Davies, Technology and Digital Products Director for Thornbury Nursing Services. I joined in 2005 as a Duty Desk Coordinator. In the subsequent years, I moved through various supervisory and managerial roles, including three years managing our community care business. In 2013, I took a sideways move into Data Analytics and Technology. In 2018, I took lead of our Technology Strategy and built a new Digital Products Team. My role has changed dramatically over two decades however I greatly value the experience of my early years as it gave me a solid understanding of the market we serve as well as some great memories of our candidates and clients.

I manage a team who are responsible for improving our current tech platforms through designing and building applications to better support our nurses, clients, and internal staff.

I’m Kate Nicholson-Florence, Quality Assurance Director for Thornbury Nursing Services. I started my career as a qualified paediatric nurse in 1998 and have experience in both the acute and community sector.

I have been with the company since 2009, specifically working in a quality and governance role since 2021. I have overall responsibility for our Quality Assurance across the UK, ensuring we provide the highest quality agency workers to support clients in both hospital and community settings.

I’m Naomi Newport, Commercial Director for Thornbury Nursing Services. I have worked for the business since 2016. I oversee our commercial teams, building relationships with new clients and improving the relationships we have with existing clients, helping us to deliver the best possible service to the healthcare sector across the UK and Ireland.

I have over 20 years’ sales management, recruitment and operations experience from many different sectors, including telecoms and NGOs. Thornbury Nursing offers clients and nurses a unique service, and it is something I am very proud to be part of.

Hi, I’m Melissa, Head of Operations at Thornbury Nursing. I’ve been with Thornbury since 2016, starting as a Placement Coordinator. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work in various roles, including Team Leader, Operations Manager, and Business Manager.

Before joining the office team, I spent several years as an agency healthcare assistant. This experience gave me a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards of working in frontline care. My journey has been incredibly rewarding. I’ve always been passionate about delivering high-quality care and I’m proud of the work we do at Thornbury.

I’m Neil and I’m the Business Manager for Thornbury Nursing’s Leeds operation, Mental Health and Specialist Staffing. I originally joined Thornbury’s sister company the Scottish Nursing Guild back in 2021, working as a Placement Coordinator and moved into a role as Niche Resourcer.

In February 2023, I was offered the Leeds Branch Manager role and in July 2023 I was promoted to Business Manager, taking on responsibility for managing the Mental Health and Niche Business.