Cancer patients will be able to get chemotherapy treatment on the island by the end of the month, according to hospital executives.

Last month, it was revealed that some patients were advised to travel overseas for treatment because of a lack of oncology nurses at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

However, the Bermuda Hospitals Board has confirmed that specialist nurses have been hired and that full services are expected to be up and running this month.

A BHB spokeswoman said: “We have very good news regarding our chemotherapy nurse coverage.

“We have been successful in our recruitment process for the permanent positions to be filled. Our appreciation goes to the oncology team, which includes our dedicated nursing staff, for ensuring many treatments could continue.

“We also thank our patients for their understanding through a challenging time and our community partners for their support.

"We will be normalising our services for all cancer patients through this month."

The development was welcomed by cancer support groups and patients.

A spokeswoman for the charity Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre said: “The BCHC recognises how difficult the past several weeks have been for patients, families and the dedicated care teams involved.

“As a centre dedicated to cancer care and committed to helping all patients with cancer, we have a clear understanding of how challenging this situation has been.

“We acknowledge the efforts of the BHB’s oncology team in maintaining as much continuity of care as possible and recruiting new resources as quickly as possible during this challenging time.

“The BCHC welcomes the BHB's announcement that chemotherapy nurse recruitment has been successful and that services will be fully restored for all current and new cancer patients this month.”

That sentiment was echoed by Pals, another cancer charity.

A spokeswoman said: “Pals is extremely grateful for the expediency BHB has taken in recruiting oncological nurses during this time of crisis. Pals will continue to assist the cancer patients of Bermuda and our partners during the transition.”

One patient who was critical of the lack of service last month said that he had been given an appointment for treatment at KEMH this month.

The patient, who asked not to be named, said: “This comes as a huge relief, not just because of the inconvenience and financial burden of travelling overseas for chemotherapy treatment, but there is also an increased risk of infection being in busy airports and on planes with a compromised immune system.

“I also met recently with one of the new medical oncologists hired by the BHB, Dr Banglamudi, and he appears to be an excellent doctor.

“We are lucky to have him here on island, and securing nursing staff who can administer treatment to his patients will hopefully encourage him to stay.”