![\"Royal](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/4_JS164697762.jpg\")
Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children – RVH<\/p>\nIt follows a report that some children had chemotherapy treatment delayed due to a lack of specialist nurses available.<\/p>\n
12:49, 07 Aug 2025Updated 14:12, 07 Aug 2025<\/p>\n
Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children – RVH<\/p>\n
The Belfast Trust has confirmed that children in Northern Ireland in need of cancer treatment are still receiving it despite staff absences within the haematology and oncology departments at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Trust also says no children are currently awaiting commencement of their treatment despite more than half of specialist nurses in the field being off work. It follows a report by BBC News NI<\/a> that a number of children had chemotherapy treatment delayed due to a lack of specialist nurses available.<\/p>\n In a statement issued to Belfast Live, the Belfast Trust<\/a> confirmed that seven out of 12 members of staff are currently unavailable for work “due to planned and unplanned absences”.<\/p>\n READ MORE: NI mum on breastfeeding ‘wild ride’ and mums who were reason she kept going<\/a>READ MORE: Trans healthcare in Northern Ireland receives ‘long overdue’ investment<\/a><\/p>\n But the Trust says all children who require cancer<\/a> treatment are currently receiving it and there are currently no children <\/a>awaiting commencement of their treatment.<\/p>\n A Trust spokesperson added: “Whilst the Children\u2019s Haematology Ward Nursing posts are fully recruited and there are currently no nursing vacancies, regrettably at this time, the number of chemotherapy-trained nursing staff on the ward has temporarily decreased due to planned and unplanned absences.<\/p>\n “Currently seven out of twelve nurses are absent and the service is working hard to review all the nursing roles within the wider haematology and oncology departments to help cover the service and protect the most time critical treatments.<\/p>\n “For the children in our care, safety and delivery of timely treatment is and will remain our highest priority. The Trust is actively working to improve the situation and staffing and service delivery is being closely monitored on a daily basis to ensure adequate and safe staffing levels. As a result, the Clinical Nurse Specialists are now also providing additional support to assist with care delivery on the ward.”<\/p>\n SDLP<\/a> Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has urged Health Minister<\/a> Mike Nesbitt to address nurse staffing issues in the Belfast Trust.<\/p>\n The South Down MLA said: \u201cUnderstandably there is serious concern following reports today that children have had important treatment delayed due to a lack of staff. This must be incredibly difficult for these children and their families, finding out at short notice that treatment had been briefly postponed. Any cancer journey is difficult, but this will add extra worry and frustration at an already very challenging time.<\/p>\n \u201cStaff absences, planned and unplanned, happen everywhere and they have to be managed, but we should not be finding ourselves in a position where cancer treatment cannot go ahead as a result. I accept the pressure staff are under, but there should be systems and backup plans in place to ensure we never find ourselves in the position we\u2019re in today.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr McGrath added: \u201cI have contacted the Health Minister to ask what steps are being taken to get these children treatment, what support is in place for staff and what he is doing to ensure that this never happens again. This is yet another example of a health service at breaking point, and these children and their families are suffering as a result.\u201d<\/p>\n Click this link<\/a> or scan the QR code to receive breaking news and top stories from Belfast Live. 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