15 January 2026
Sister Karen Allen
After an extraordinary 46-year career at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, much-loved Intensive Critical Care Unit (ICCU) Sister Karen Allen – known affectionately to colleagues as Macca – is retiring at the age of 65.
Karen began her career with the Trust in April 1979. Over the decades she has worked in a variety of roles across the organisation, earning a reputation for her unwavering dedication and genuine passion for patient care.
Reflecting on her career, Karen said: “The best thing about being a Nurse is being there for your patients – it’s all I have ever wanted to do. I don’t see it as a job; it’s a vocation.”
Although she has gained experience in many departments, it is her years on the ICCU that hold her most cherished memories. She has formed close friendships with colleagues she now considers family.
She added: “My best memory has been working on the ICCU and all the amazing friends I’ve made along the way. The support, teamwork and camaraderie are something I will never forget.”
Karen hopes future generations of Nurses will feel the same sense of purpose she has carried throughout her career.
She said: “I have loved every moment of being a nurse, and I want future nurses to love their jobs as much as I did. It’s so important that you never see nursing as a job; it’s so much more than that. Every patient matters, and knowing that you make a difference is a feeling I will never forget.”
To mark her retirement, colleagues organised a special gathering to celebrate her contributions, share stories and recognise the remarkable impact she has made over more than four decades of service.
Karen now plans to enjoy her retirement by spending more time with her family and embracing some much-deserved time at home.