In New Zealand, we have a system where thousands of Kiwis miss out on quality palliative care because of where they live, where they die, and what they die from. Access to palliative care support in rural areas is patchy and many rest home residents are unable to access specialist palliative care support when they need it, and people with chronic diseases continue to miss out on support at end of life.
While a tiny fraction of people who die in NZ are now choosing assisted dying with the EOLC Act, a far greater proportion of New Zealanders don’t have a choice when it comes to receiving high quality hospice care.
Read about a milestone law change in England that could end a postcode lottery under which tens of thousands of people die every year without adequate support or pain relief.
We too, need a fairer system that backs the right of all New Zealanders to access quality palliative care wherever they live and wherever they die.
