Hospice New Zealand has welcomed Minister of Health’s announcement of an additional $12 million Health New Zealand funding uplift for hospice services in 2026/27, saying the funding represents an important step towards a fairer and more equitable hospice system for New Zealanders.
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Have a listen to Wayne Naylor on RNZ’s The Panel . It's a timely reminder of two truths we still struggle to face in Aotearoa.
Firstly, Wayne challenged a common myth about hospice care. Hospice care does not mostly happen in hospice buildings. Most hospice care happens in people’s homes, around kitchen tables, in lounge chairs, beside hospital beds or lazy boys supplied brought into the living rooms, and surrounded by the people and things that matter most. Hospice is not just a building. It is compassionate care that wraps around people and whānau wherever they are as we've been sharing in our
Hospice Awareness campaign this week.
Secondly, the conversation touched on something our society urgently needs to get better at: talking about dying.
Modern Western medicine has become incredibly skilled at curing and extending life. But in focusing so heavily on cure, we have often denied death. It’s treated as failure rather than a natural part of life. The result is that many people feel unprepared, isolated, or afraid to talk about dying.
The annual Farmers Christmas Campaign has once again delivered an outstanding result for hospices nationwide, thanks to the generosity of Farmers stores and customers across New Zealand. The campaign has raised vital funds to help ensure people can access compassionate end of life care in their communities.
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This cover story on media platform, The Spinoff is a compelling portrayal of the reality we can no longer ignore: a growing and unacceptable gap between the need for palliative care and how it is planned for and funded as our population ages. Demand is increasing, care needs are becoming more complex, and without urgent action, too many people will miss out on the compassionate, high-quality end-of-life care they deserve. As a country, we need a reform in palliative care, for people, for whānau, and for the future of dying well in Aotearoa.
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Harcourts Foundation Supports Hospice Care Across Aotearoa with Over $31,000 in Grants
Hospices across Aotearoa New Zealand will be able to provide enhanced comfort and care for people at the end of life, thanks to more than $31,000 in funding from the Harcourts Foundation.
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What if a simple Christmas ornament could make a real difference in someone's final days?
Wayne Naylor, CEO of Hospice New Zealand, joins the Rhema Breakfast team to talk about the deeper meaning behind the annual Farmers Hospice Bauble campaign. With stories of care that go beyond medicine - offering emotional, spiritual, and practical support, this conversation invites you to rediscover the true spirit of Christmas through compassion, remembrance, and community action.
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'After a decade of palliative care neglect in which New Zealand slumped by world standards, there is new hope the terminally ill may soon be suffering less', writes Kevin Norquay in Wellington's daily, The Post.
This feature tells how New Zealand’s palliative care system is finally showing signs of renewal, with hospice leaders pushing for lasting change.
There is still not enough funding to halt the slide, the fate of dying remains a topic society still doesn’t want to talk about, or place value on, there is a decline in carers, lack of training, and insufficient funding.
But there are signs of progress at last, the story continues.
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Our 2024-2025 Annual Review highlights the impact hospices made in their communities along with our progress advocating for a fairer and sustainable funding model.
Hospices continue to care for around one in three New Zealanders who die each year. Last year, hospice reached 20,181 people, including 11,471 who died.
"We’ve navigated a challenging landscape of reform and uncertainty within the wider health system, while continuing to
demonstrate the extraordinary value of hospice care to our communities." says Chief Executive, Wayne Naylor.
Take a look at the 2024-2025 Annual Review here.
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Dying Reviews invited people who are dying, or who have supported someone who is, to reflect on how they were treated by the everyday systems that surround us – from energy providers and insurance companies, to employers, government departments and even supermarkets.
Some of the reviews are confronting. Others are praiseworthy. All are a powerful reminder that how we treat people during this phase of life matters deeply.
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The Harcourts Foundation and Hospice New Zealand are proud to announce the renewal of their national partnership for the ninth consecutive year, continuing their shared commitment through the Hospice New Zealand Grants Programme.
Since its inception in 2017, this partnership has enabled the Harcourts Foundation to contribute over $380,000 to local hospices across Aotearoa. The Grants Programme provides hospices with crucial funding for items that directly enhance the quality of care offered to patients and their whānau.
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