Hospice pledged $300k

Karen Anderson

Wanganui Hospice is to get an extra $300,000 ... if National is re-elected.

The expenditure was announced yesterday by retiring Health Minister Tony Ryall, and is Wanganui's share of a $20 million fillip to hospice budgets around the country.

Hospice Wanganui chief executive Karen Anderson has welcomed the news, with community-based services set to get some of the extra funding.

Mr Ryall said that in 2013 more than 15,000 people received care and support from hospice services throughout New Zealand and hospice staff made more than 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 the population aged, more and more people would need palliative care, he said.

"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 rest of the money will be used for new palliative care nurse specialist and training. It is planned that 60 nurses across the country will provide training, mentoring and hands-on support for staff across aged residential care, GP practices and home-based support services.

Mrs Anderson said Hospice Wanganui was delighted with the announcement.

"It is likely we will invest the additional funding in developing our community-based services and providing additional palliative care services within residential care facilities."