'My daughter is dying of cancer but my bosses want me to return to work': Nurse lambastes her employer's 'insensitivity'

The mother of a terminally ill cancer patient has accused her employer of ‘insensitivity’ after claiming she felt under pressure to return to work.
Michelle Campbell, 45, is caring for her daughter, Nadejah Williams, 23, who has a rare form of colon cancer and has just weeks to live.
Ms Campbell, a nurse, says she is also signed off work with depression but that University College London Hospital, in Euston, has contacted her to suggest she attend a meeting.

Michelle Campbell (right) has accused her employer of insensitivity after she says she felt under pressure to return to work while caring for her terminally ill daughter, Nadejah Williams (left)

Ms Williams, 23, has terminal colon cancer and has now been given just weeks to live. She is being treated on the hospital floor where mother works as nurse

Ms Campbell, of Stoke Newington, told The Voice: ‘Nadejah is very poorly - she’s literally dying now. I shouldn’t be conducting a conversation like this at my daughter’s bedside. At a time like this, I need my workplace to support me, I don’t need pressure from them.’
She says her daughter is also being treated at University College London Hospital so she believes her bosses were aware that she was at her bedside when they called her.
She told MailOnline: 'I've been going through hell with them for two years. They knew my daughter is having treatment and I had just been asked to consent to a do not resuscitate form when they called.
'Can you imagine the state I was in?'
Ms Williams, who starred in the reality TV show Shipwrecked, was diagnosed with colon cancer after collapsing in New York in 2011 and is being treated on the University College London Hospital floor where her mother works.
In March 2013 she was told that chemotherapy was not working and her consultant requested funding for her to be treated with CyberKnife – a pioneering form of radiation therapy.

Ms Campbell says that despite her daughter's illness, her employer, University College Hospital London, requested that she attended a meeting. Image shows Ms Williams in July 2013

Ms Williams was diagnosed with colon cancer after collapsing in 2011. In November 2013 she was told that there was nothing more doctors could do and that her illness was terminal

However, it was six months before funding as secured to allow Ms Williams to undergo the treatment.
By this time, the cancer had advanced and it was not able to save her.
Ms Williams’ condition has continued to deteriorate and in November she was told her illness was terminal.
Then, last month, she became so ill that her devastated mother was asked to sign a ‘do not resuscitate’ form.

COLON CANCER: THE FACTS

Colon cancer is a type of bowel cancer.
Symptoms include blood in the stools, unexplained changes in bowel habits and unexplained weight loss.
Bowel cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the UK with 41,000 people diagnosed each year.
About 72 per cent of cases develop in people who are over 65 and two thirds of bowel cancers develop in the colon.
People who are over 65, have a low fibre diet, people who are overweight and those who do not exercise are at greater risk.
Risk is also increased by alcohol, smoking and having a family history of the disease.
Treatment usually involves surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Source: NHS Choices

Ms Campbell told The Voice: ‘She is my only child, the one person who will love me, who will never stop loving me for the rest of my life that I am sure of.’
Ms Campbell claims that she informed her boss of the situation but received a phone call shortly afterwards to request that she attend a meeting.
Ms Campbell believes this call was a sign that her employers were not supportive and that they were putting pressure on her to return to work.
However, the hospital denies this and claims it only wanted to offer support.
A spokesman said: ‘This appears to have been a very unfortunate misunderstanding.
'Michelle has absolutely not been told by UCLH that she must return to work.
'She was recently contacted by the UCLH occupational health team to establish whether there were any arrangements, such as emotional support, we could put in place to support her during this distressing time. At no time was returning to work discussed.
'This is clearly an incredibly difficult time for Michelle and her family and UCLH has fully supported her throughout and will continue to do so.'
Ms Campbell said that regardless of the hospital’s reason for contacting her, it should not have happened as she is unable to think about work because of her daughter’s illness.
She told MailOnline: 'The hospital has never called to offer to help me.
'My stress was made worse because they refused to let me do nights to allow me to look after my daughter in the day - that sent me over the edge.
'My main interest is my daughter and they've given me hell. I feel I have been bullied and harassed.'

Ms Williams' mother, Ms Campbell, was recently asked to sign a 'do not resuscitate' form on behalf of her daughter as her condition has become so severe. Image shows Ms Williams

Ms Campbell says she is not on compassionate leave to allow her to care for her daughter (pictured) but that she is on sick leave suffering from depression and stress

Ms Campbell says she is not off work on compassionate leave but that her GP has signed her off sick with depression and stress.
She says that because of these conditions she is not in a fit state to be working and that is why she cannot currently return to work.
She told MailOnline: 'I am not competent to look after patients now - my head is all over the place.
'No one supports me - we are just treated like numbers as nurses.
'I would rather beg on the streets than be bullied by UCLH. I have always gone back to work. I'm always back at work but I can't look after other people's relatives in this state - I am not competent enough to handle controlled medication.'
She added: 'I love my job and I do not expect to be treated like this - I care for people.'

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