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Child chemotherapy sessions at the Belfast Health Trust have been postponed due to a shortage of specialist nurses, leading to delays in treatment for some children with cancer. According to BBC News NI, more than half of the specialist nurses in this field are currently unavailable for work, with seven staff members off due to planned and unplanned absences. This has impacted around five children, with one child seeing their treatment delayed by five days. Despite these challenges, the trust emphasized that it is working diligently to maintain sufficient staffing levels at the haematology and oncology departments within the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
Concerns regarding staffing levels across the health trust, particularly in the paediatric haematology and oncology departments, have been raised by sources. A staff member highlighted the lack of attention to addressing these staffing issues by senior management. The trust acknowledged that while nursing positions are fully staffed, there is a temporary decrease in the number of chemotherapy-trained nursing staff due to absences. This has prompted a review of nursing roles to ensure critical treatments are covered and the service is sustained.
Currently, seven nursing staff members are absent out of a total of 12 staff members. The trust is actively seeking to mitigate the impact of these absences by reevaluating nursing roles and ensuring that essential treatments are prioritized and protected. It was noted that delays in treatment are not solely attributed to staffing challenges, but also factors like clinical assessments, bed availability, and chemotherapy preparation during weekends. Despite these challenges, the trust assured that there have been no negative clinical outcomes and communicated with parents of affected children to address any concerns.
Chair of Stormont’s health committee, Philip McGuigan, expressed disappointment and concern over the delays in child chemotherapy sessions. He stressed the importance of investigating the reasons behind the staffing shortages and ensuring that such delays do not recur. Deputy chair of the health committee, Danny Donnelly, called on the Belfast Trust to provide reassurance to parents regarding timely treatment for their children and to address the underlying issues contributing to the vulnerability of the service to staff shortages. The trust affirmed its commitment to improving staffing and service delivery, with a focus on maintaining safe and timely treatment for all patients
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