CRUMLIN HOSPITAL HAS said it “sincerely regrets” that a number of children’s chemotherapy sessions have been postponed this month due to a shortage of beds. 

The hospital issued a statement after it emerged today that five patients were affected this month. 

A spokesperson for the hospital said that admissions dates are periodically changed due to issues such as the demand on available beds. 

A spokesperson for Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin said it “sincerely regrets that on occasion deferment of planned admission occurs”.

The hospital said it is “very aware” of the impact a change in admission for chemotherapy has on patients with cancer and that the decision to delay planned inpatient admission is not undertaken lightly. 

“When such a decision is made, it is made the priority at all times is to ensure a safe environment, with the safe delivery of care to all patients.” The hospital said a recent respiratory virus led to several weeks of “significant pressures” on in-patient beds in Crumlin. 

“CHI at Crumlin had in the month of December to postpone 5 in-patient admissions for cancer treatment – 3 were delayed by 1 day and 2 were delayed by 2 days.” 

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (ICHA) said the failure to resource hospitals with the beds and specialist consultants means that public hospitals are faced with no choice but to shut down essential day-to-day services to cope with increases in acutely ill admissions.

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ICHA said the cancellation of children’s chemotherapy treatments is “extremely distressing” for families and “one of the more troubling effects of this Government’s failure to invest in adequate bed capacity across our acute public hospitals”.

“This has left our hospitals, such as in Crumlin, unable to provide for both planned essential care, such as chemotherapy for cancer, and the annual predictable increase in patients’ requirements for hospital care due to illnesses such as respiratory conditions or flu.”

“Contrary to what Minister Harris and the health service management might argue these winter pressures are entirely predictable,” it added.