Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Health

The Bone Marrow Cancer Trust’s new Rānui Apartments will ensure patients and families travelling to Christchurch for cancer treatment, heart surgeries, and other complex needs will have a home-away-from-home for their recuperation, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“Today I was pleased to join the Prime Minister to officially open the Bone Marrow Cancer Trust’s new Rānui Apartments. These 54 new apartments will accommodate more Kiwis and their families travelling to Christchurch Hospital for life-changing treatments,” Mr Brown says.

The 54 apartments across two buildings will add to the existing 26 apartments available at Rānui House. The new facilities offered include one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, as well as studio rooms, to meet different patients’ and families’ needs.

“Travelling for life-changing treatment and surgery can be daunting. These new facilities will remove that burden by providing free accommodation and wrap-around services for eligible travelling patients and their families, located just 500 metres from the Christchurch Hospital.

“The opening of the Rānui Apartments makes the Bone Marrow Cancer Trust the largest provider of patient accommodation in the South Island. It is the only provider that serves patients and families irrespective of their age or treatment type.

“When a patient undergoes life-changing treatment, there are repercussions for the entire family. These accommodation facilities will make specialist healthcare more accessible for people in the South Island by ensuring patients and their families have support close to Christchurch Hospital.

“I would like to thank the Bone Marrow Cancer Trust for their vision, dedication, and fundraising efforts that have made this project possible,” Mr Brown says.

Notes:

• The $18.9 million development cost of Rānui Apartments was funded through private donors, grant providers, fundraisers, and government contributions.
• On 1 April 2024 Health NZ increased the National Travel Assistance reimbursement rates for accommodation from $100 to $140. This was the first time the rate had been increased in nine years. NGOs such as the Bone Marrow Cancer Trust are able to use this funding to eligible patients to help provide support to patients and their families.

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