Lack of Northern Ireland Children’s Cancer Unit Staff ‘I broke’

A whistleblower, who resigned from the Royal Belfast Hospital for sick children over staff shortage, has said that the system left her broken, disillusioned and jealous.

Hannah Farel, who left the Children’s Cancer Unit in 2019, said that he and other nurses were supported to resign to hearing and the lack of management failure.

Parents of sick children and former staff members approached BBC News Ni, after it was revealed More than half of the expert nurse team in cancer unit is currently away from workOne problem that Ms. Fareel said was not new.

In a statement, the Belfast Health Trust stated that there was a “important investment” in the service development of the unit in the last decade.

It states that it includes “growth in all nursing bands, and development of expert nursing roles”.

The trust stated that he wanted to thank the “hard -working nurses” and wider employees in the unit for his work “especially during pressure, to ensure safe and timely care of our patients and they provide families”.

Ms. Fareel said that for years, maternity leave, long -term disease in the unit and career brakes were not backfielded, meaning that wards were inadequately employees.

He said that the pressure on colleagues increased and the ability to influence patients, but issues were not addressed.

“When a ward goes into crisis as was done a few weeks ago, the trust takes the nurses from other wards, which simply puts a band aid on it,” he said.

“This is a quick improvement, whatever we have done negatively affects other wards and we have not corrected the problem.”

During his five years as a nurse in the unit, Ms. Fareel, who treated some of the most sick children in Northern Ireland, often had to deal with the pain of death of a patient – however, she was not offered consultation and had to pay for herself.

The Belfast Health Trust stated that it has a specialist professional health that provides “personal support to employees” and that employees can take advantage of many services that provide physical and psychological support “.

“We encourage employees to raise concerns within our teams and with line managers.

Ms. Fareel, who still works as a nurse in healthcare, said she was speaking in the hope that it would help the nurses who feel that her voice is “silent” by management.

“The system took my fight, my happiness, my sympathy and compassion – I had nothing left to give.

“I got scared every innings because I didn’t know what I was doing, the staffing-wise, or skill mixture.

“Nothing has clearly changed because I submitted it in my resignation five years ago, so nurses have no option but to be ill.”

Children’s cancer unit is a regional center where children are treated for cancer or a complex blood disorder diagnosis in northern Ireland.

Expert cancer nurses are specially trained to administer treatments including chemotherapy.

Currently, seven of the 12 experts are not working out of nurses, which meant that some treatments were postponed earlier in August.

According to the trust, five children were affected and have been treated since then.

However, in the last few years, the parents of patients who were treated in Hematology and oncology wards told BBC News Ni that they had seen nurses regularly under pressure due to staff problems.

David and Sara Watson’s sons Adam treated for acute meloid leukemia in children’s cancer units between 2019 and 2022.

Adam, who died in 2022, was nine years old when he helped establish a B -positive charity to support families and especially to provide consultation to nurses on the ward.

David Watson said that the clinical service is world class, but often wards are understood, and the nurses live regularly after their innings.

“This is not a new problem – employees are being allowed down by the Health Department and eventually, by the Health Minister, by the Belfast Trust.

“He is the owner at the end of the day.

“People need to sit down and study data – why are nurses sick and why are they leaving?”

A statement by the Health Department stated that the minister accepts the stuffing challenges faced by the Belfast Trust and the broad system.

“He recognizes the efforts made by the Belfast Trust to manage and address recent nurse staffing issues by Belfast Trust, and notes the assurance given by the trust that service distribution is being closely monitored.”

Sara Watson said that it was “no way to run the hospital” and that any other business would pursue the plan, especially around the maternity leave cover.

“Such powers that do not understand the skills required for this ward.”

Caroline and Martin Smith, whose son Theo was treated in the cancer unit in 2020, told BBC News Ni that he first saw how the lack of employees affected hematology and oncology wards.

“The nurses are removed from their feet and they are working with some of the most sick children in Northern Ireland.

“10 -Bed ward was always full – yet there was not always a complete quota of employees, especially in the weekend.”

The Belfast Trust told BBC News NI that at present there are no nursing registrar vacancies in the children’s Hematology Unit “.

It states that all nursing roles were reviewed in the Departments of Hematology and Oncology “which enables the trust to use employees from the broad team in other ward areas and bank employees and to safely cover the service and protect the most important treatments when necessary”.

Ms. Fareel, who still keeps in touch with the employees working there, said that the unit is working on the “smoke” of good nature of the nurses.

He said that the last three shifts of the night on the ward were “frightening” as a lot of responsibility was placed on his shoulders.

“I seriously oversee a full ward of sick children, some were dying, and I was supported by a bank and a junior nurse – it broke me.”

He said that children and families were “entitled to the highest and best level of care” but did not feel that they had the ability or support to give them.

Ms. Fareel said that NHS promoted ‘It’s OK to Be Not OK’ attitude about mental health, but hoped that they can give more than as much as they can give to its nurses.

She said that she could still remember the names and faces of 56 children, who died in her care, but at any time it was said that she was not offered consultation.

“You hope you just pick up yourself and go to the next room – the effect is on a large scale.”