Simpson attended Cheltenham Ladies' College[1] before training as a nurse at St Thomas' Hospital, registering in 1932.
[3] In 1939 on the outbreak of World War II, Simpson was called up to serve in France and then Northern Ireland as a Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps Reserve (QUAIRMSR).
[5] From 1952 to 1955 Simpson studied for a sociology degree at the London School of Economics before returning to her role at the Royal College of Nursing.
[3] Simpson spent 11 years at the DHSS devising and implementing a national framework for the development of research in nursing.
[1] In the 1974 New Years honours list, Simpson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).