A whistleblower who resigned from the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children over staff shortages has said the system left her broken, disillusioned and burnt out. Hannah Farrell, who left the Children’s Cancer Unit in 2019, said the lack of support and management’s failure to listen to her and other nurses led her to resign. She claimed that for years maternity leave, long-term sickness and career breaks at the unit were not backfilled, meaning wards were insufficiently staffed. Seven out of 12 specialist nurses are currently off work at the cancer unit, which has led to some treatment being postponed. Parents of patients treated in the haematology and oncology wards have also spoken out about the pressure on nurses due to staffing problems. The Belfast Trust has said it has a specialist occupational health service that offers support to staff and that it encourages staff to raise concerns within their teams and with line managers. However, Ms Farrell said she was speaking out in the hope it will help nurses who feel their voices are “silenced” by management. She said the system took her fight, joy, empathy and compassion, leaving her with nothing to give. David Watson, whose son Adam was treated at the cancer unit, said the clinical service is world class but often the wards are understaffed, and nurses regularly stay on after their shift. He blamed the Belfast Trust, the Department of Health, and the health minister for not addressing the staffing issues. The Department of Health said the minister acknowledges the staffing challenges facing the Belfast Trust and wider system, and recognizes the efforts made by the trust to manage and address the recent nurse staffing issues.
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