Nurse shortage delays child cancer treatments at Auckland's Starship hospital
A shortage of nurses has delayed some cancer treatments for children at Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland, the NZ Herald and RNZ reported. Health officials said treatments were pushed back by up to seven days and no child missed care. Nurses said it is the worst shortage they have seen.
A shortage of nurses has delayed some chemotherapy treatments for children at Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, the NZ Herald and RNZ reported. Health officials confirmed on Thursday that some treatments had been delayed by up to seven days, the NZ Herald and RNZ reported.
Health New Zealand confirmed that 20 cycles of chemotherapy had been delayed over the past four months, the NZ Herald reported. Two bone marrow transplants were also moved slightly from their planned dates but were still going ahead, the NZ Herald and RNZ reported.
"Starship has not suspended any cancer treatments, and no children have missed out on cancer care," said Dr. Mike Shepherd of Health New Zealand, according to the NZ Herald. Health Minister Simeon Brown confirmed that "a handful" of chemotherapy sessions had been delayed by a few days, the NZ Herald reported. Brown said he was advised that all vacancies on the ward have been filled, with nurses already working or about to start, RNZ reported.
The nurses' union said staffing has been unsafe for months. Some 42% of shifts on the ward this year were below safe staffing levels, and 85% were understaffed in August, union president Kerri Nuku said, according to the NZ Herald. "It shouldn't have come to this," Nuku said, according to the NZ Herald.
Two nurses, who were not named, said it is the worst nursing shortage they have seen, RNZ reported. They said new nurses get only two or three weeks of support before working on their own in the ward, RNZ reported. "This is not a cry for money," the nurses said, adding that they are "crying out for more staff," according to RNZ. The nurses said children would still get the care they need, RNZ reported.
A spokesperson for Brown said the vacancies were caused by people leaving through retirement and parental leave, but the nurses disagreed, RNZ reported. Health New Zealand said the ward was three months away from being fully staffed, RNZ reported.
What we know: Some chemotherapy at Starship was delayed by up to seven days because of a nurse shortage.
What we don't: Whether any child's health was affected by the delays.
Where outlets agree The NZ Herald and RNZ both report that a nurse shortage has delayed some children's cancer treatments at Starship Children's Hospital by up to seven days.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.