Hon Tony Ryall
National Party
Health spokesman
Media Release
13 August 2014
$20 million boost for hospices
National’s Health spokesman Tony Ryall today announced the National-led Government will invest an extra $20 million a
year to provide more hospice palliative care services for New Zealanders.
Mr Ryall made the announcement at Nelson Tasman Hospice with Prime Minister John Key and local Nelson MP Nick Smith.
“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 Mr 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. This funding boost includes $13 million to help
the country’s 29 hospices expand their community palliative care services into better supporting terminally ill people
at home and in aged care facilities.
“We will also invest $7 million to create 60 new palliative care nurse specialist and educator roles. These nurses 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 of funding each year from July 2015 is in addition to the extra $15 million a year
from the Boost Hospice Care funding initiative announced in 2009.
This 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.