Our history

Palliative care in New Zealand arose from within local communities, supported by local funding and by volunteers to provide holistic care for adults with terminal cancer.

In 1985 a report was presented to a committee at a workshop in Auckland. From that workshop, a committee was created to investigate the setting up of a national hospice body. The Cancer Society contributed $1500 towards the establishment of this organisation. This organisation is now known as Hospice New Zealand.

The objectives of Hospice New Zealand included obtaining government funding, licensing, annual inspection of hospices, establising standards and monitoring them at a national level and providing education and resources.

Hospice New Zealand finally came to fruition in 1986 and the rest is history.

Today, Hospice New Zealand is actively involved in research and education, workforce development, establishing standards of healthcare, providing information and advice to hospices, stakeholders and to the general public and helping and supporting hospices nationwide.

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