Some children with cancer who faced a delay to chemotherapy sessions because of staff shortages are now receiving their treatment, the Belfast Trust has said.

About five children were affected with one child having their treatment put back by five days.

They faced a delay because more than half of specialist nurses in the field are off work in the trust, with seven members of staff “unavailable for work due to planned and unplanned absences”.

However, in a statement, the Belfast Health Trust said clinical nurse specialists are now providing additional support.

The trust also said they are “working to improve the situation and staffing and service delivery is being closely monitored to ensure adequate and safe staffing levels”.

Sources earlier told BBC News NI that issues around staffing levels across the health trust have been raised, and specifically about the number of specialist nurses in the paediatric haematology and oncology departments.

A member of staff said staffing problems were not being addressed by senior management.

The trust said while nursing posts were fully recruited, unfortunately “the number of chemotherapy-trained nursing staff on the ward has temporarily decreased due to planned and unplanned absences”.