Chief nurse appointed at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals

Karen is currently the deputy chief nurse at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (STH), a position she has held since October 2017.

Qualifying as a Registered Nurse over 25 years ago, Karen joined Hull University Hospitals in 1995 where she spent the next two decades, holding a variety of roles within critical care and surgery.

Karen eventually progressed to become a matron and a divisional nurse manager, also qualifying as a registered midwife and completing a master’s degree in health care leadership with the University of Birmingham.

In 2016, Karen joined STH as nurse director for operating services, critical care and anaesthesia, before moving on to become deputy chief nurse 18 months later.

Speaking about her appointment as chief nurse, Karen said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals.

"I am passionate about getting things right for staff so that they, in turn, can deliver the very best care for patients.

"The NHS has gone through some challenging times throughout the past few years, but I believe there’s a real opportunity to improve, refresh ourselves on the fundamentals, and refocus on our mission to deliver safe, effective and individualised patient care.

“As chief nurse I will be an advocate for both patients and our healthcare professionals, hopefully helping the organisation it in its vision to become the safest in England, outstanding in all that it does.”

An integral role at the trust, the chief nurse, provides clear leadership to around 3,000 clinical staff, overseeing the development and delivery of outstanding patient care.

Richard Parker OBE, chief executive at DBTH, said: “I am delighted to welcome Karen to Team DBTH. I believe we have someone with a wealth of experience, and someone who has a track record of delivery throughout her career – always ensuring the patient comes first.

“It is no secret that the pandemic has had a significant impact on our teams and the services we provide, however, with Karen’s support, insight and leadership, I am confident of our recovery and renewal post pandemic, and I look forward to working closely with her as part of the executive team.”