Scots nurses told 'no time off' to attend funeral of colleague who died after cancer battle

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Nurses at an Edinburgh hospital have been left outraged after being told they can't take time off to attend the funeral of a beloved colleague.Chloe Cochrane, who was a theatre practitioner at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, tragically passed away last month following a diagnosis of aggressive stage four cancer, leaving behind her husband and two children.

News of Chloe's untimely death reached her colleagues, some of whom had worked alongside her for 15 years, and plans for her funeral were made for April 28.However, despite Chloe's workmates requesting an extended lunch break to attend the service at Mortonhall Crematorium on Friday, May 10, they were informed on Tuesday that their request had been denied.

However, only four of Chloe's colleagues were set to attend the service due to their shift pattern on Friday, instead of being granted special permission from health board bosses.

However, the department's clinical leads have helped make it possible for other colleagues to attend, reports Edinburgh Live.The health board has since extended its condolences to Chloe's family, describing her as a "much loved and respected colleague."Allister Short, NHS Lothian's Women's and Children's Service Director, stated that staff rotas must be balanced to allow the maximum number of people to take time off while ensuring patient care and appointments proceed as planned.A friend and colleague of Chloe's, who is deeply upset by NHS Lothian's decision, told us that "she would have wanted" as many of her colleagues at the service as possible.She added: "Chloe was sadly diagnosed with stage four cancer last year and lost that battle at the end of April.