Dr Hammersley did her undergraduate and GP training in the North East of England, moving to the West Midlands in 2000. She initially worked part-time in the Department of Primary Care and part-time as a clinical assistant in General Practice, but left to take up a GP Partnership in 2003.
She returned to the University in January 2014 and now splits her time between her University role and clinical practice. She lives in Sutton Coldfield and is Mum to two teenage children and two Jack Russells.