Immediate release
9 April 2000

Alliance MP Grant Gillon is promoting a Member's bill to increase funding for essential hospice services.

"Although hospice and palliative care has been identified as a core health service it has never been funded as such," Alliance MP Grant Gillon said.

"Hospices such as the one in the North Shore in Auckland only get 38% funding from the government and the rest comes from the community.

"The Alliance is fully supportive of the work that the 37 hospices across New Zealand do. It is about time they had more support from government.

"My Bill supports hospices by providing public funding of 100% for the essential core services provided by hospices.

"If passed this would mean that the government would fund about 75% of total operating costs of hospices.

"The remainder would still be made up through fundraising ventures such as Jo Seager's 'A Night to Remember' on the 26th of May.

"The Hospice movement is a vital part of our health system. It needs more attention and resources so that those facing death can do so comfortably and with dignity," Grant Gillon said.

ENDS

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