After being presented with a national award by the then-prime minister, having multiple papers published in nursing journals, championing the development of colleagues and providing ‘amazing’ care to thousands of children and young people, a Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust health visitor has decided to finally retire after 50 years of NHS service.

Margaret ‘Peggy’ Oates is celebrating a half century career, which she’s dedicated to improving outcomes for babies, children and young people, before hanging up her uniform for good at the end of the month (October 2026).

Peggy, who lives near Countesthorpe, currently works as a public health nurse for the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust’s (LPT) Healthy Together health visiting service, based at Narborough Health Centre.

She said: “I have always wanted to be a nurse. I just like caring for people. I chose to go down the path of working of children. They are amazing and I also love working with the families.”

Peggy, who is originally from Tyneside, began her nursing career in 1976 at South Shields School of Nursing, where she completed two years of the practical state enrolled nurse (SEN) training.

At the time, Peggy was a 21-year-old single mum, having had her daughter, Anna, six months prior.

Peggy, who, at 17-years-old, joined the Women’s Royal Air Force in 1971, said: “I was discharged from the Force when I was pregnant. I saw an advert in the local paper for these trainee nursing roles. I knew I wanted to do a job where I worked with people, so I applied. We got on the job, practical training – it was very supportive.”

After qualifying, Peggy worked for six months on a medical ward for adults before completing her state registered nursing (SRN) training. It was after this that Peggy went into children’s care.

Peggy took on several roles at the South Shields General Hospital and Newcastle upon Tyne Freeman Hospital, working on various children’s wards and building her career from a staff nurse to ward sister and lead professional.

While working on the paediatric unit at South Tyneside Hospital, Peggy and her unit were awarded a prestigious Charter Mark in 1993, by John Major, the Prime Minister at the time. This was for work she led to improve the quality of the nursing care on the ward, by auditing practice, asking for patient feedback and securing funding to ensure nurses were properly trained.

Peggy also had two professional papers published in nursing journals; one was about how she improved the quality of care on her ward and a second on how the introduction of the Children Act 1989 would impact children on medical wards.

In 1999, Peggy’s husband, Michael, got a job in Rugby and so she moved with him, along with Anna and their son, John.  She secured her first role in the Midlands as a health visitor, at what was then known as Leicestershire and Rutland NHS Trust. Since then, Peggy has worked across Rugby, South Warwickshire and Leicestershire as a health visitor, as well as a community practitioner to train other health visitors. She took a very brief, day-long early retirement in 2000, before returning to work to carry on her passion for helping families.

Those who are supported by Peggy consistently provide positive feedback about her care, with a mother recently describing Peggy as ‘amazing, helpful and thorough’.

Peggy, who is now 71, said: “I have always treated the children as if they were my own – and how I would want them to be treated. I know I have helped a lot of families – it must be thousands.

“It has given me purpose to get up in the morning. It was something for me, aside from being a mother and a wife, that I really enjoyed doing. To me, it has never been a job. I love it. I wouldn’t retire now if it wasn’t for all the technology. But I think now is the right time to go.”

Peggy is looking forward to spending more time reading and doing embroidery, as well as volunteering to help at a local mother and baby club during her retirement.