Media Releases

Extra funding delights Hospice New Zealand

March, 2005.- Hospice New Zealand is delighted with news that its hospices will get a much needed top-up in Government funding.

Health Minister Annette King today announced hospices would get a share of the $6 million in additional funding for palliative care, support and rehabilitation. The top-up is part of an extra $40 million in funding the Government has earmarked for cancer control in the first phase of the Cancer Control Action plan.

Ms King said the plan took into account the clear advice from the Cancer Control Taskforce that cancer must be tackled on a number of fronts, including palliative care.

Hospice New Zealand president Dalton Kelly was delighted with the news and said the extra funding would help hospices to care for the increasing numbers of patients needing their services.

Thirty seven hospices come under Hospice New Zealand’s umbrella and all strive to provide quality palliative care to people with a terminal illness. Last year alone more than 8000 patients and their families used hospice services in New Zealand.

“Over the past few years the numbers of patients using hospice services has increased by 41 percent. Funding has not kept up to the level required to accommodate these numbers,” Mr Kelly said.

Ms King said the shortfall in funding of about $5 million for hospice services had been identified by a working group involving Hospice New Zealand, DHBNZ and the Ministry.

“We are truly grateful to Annette King for her continued support of hospices. She established a strategic policy and a funding model and is ensuring funding is available to DHBs for the care of people with terminal illness throughout New Zealand,” Mr Kelly said.

Hospices provide palliative care free of charge to people living with a terminal illness, while also supporting family/whanau and friends. Hospices are partially Government funded but rely on community fundraising to cover the remainder of service associated costs.