Hon Tony Ryall

National Party
Health spokesman

Media Release

13 August 2014

$2 million boost for Wellington hospices

Hospice and palliative care services in the Greater Wellington region will receive around $2 million extra next year thanks to National’s $20 million hospice boost announced this week.

There are two hospices in the Greater Wellington region – Mary Potter Hospice and Te Omanga Hospice.

“Hospices make a huge difference to people's lives by ensuring terminally ill people are as free from pain and suffering as possible. They also provide care and support for families and friends,” says Health spokesman Tony Ryall.

“Last year more than 15,000 people received care and support from hospice services throughout New Zealand and hospice staff made over 145,000 visits to people in their homes. Just over 20 per cent of people using hospice services were aged under 60 and three-quarters had a cancer related disease.

“As our population ages, more and more people will need palliative care. Nearly two thirds of the money will go towards helping local hospices expand their community palliative care services into better supporting terminally ill people at home and in aged care facilities.

“The other third will be used to create new palliative care nurse specialist and educator roles. There will be a total of 60 nurses across the country that will provide training, mentoring and hands on support for staff across aged residential care, GP practices and home-based support services.

Mr Ryall said the extra $20 million a year is in addition to the $15 million a year increase from the Boost Hospice Care funding initiative announced in 2009.

“This announcement is part of the government’s plan to meet the changing needs of our aging population. Over the next 20 years the number of people over the age of 65 will double to 1.2 million people, and this will also mean increased numbers of people living with cancer,” says Mr Ryall.

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