“We simply can’t keep relying on the generosity of our community to cover the shortfall. When the cost of delivering care far exceeds what we’re funded for, something has to change.”
– Paul Lamb, Chief Executive, Te Kahu Pairuri Hospice Taranaki
Help us protect hospice care in our community
You’ve helped make hospice care possible for so many in Taranaki – thank you.
This Hospice Awareness Week, we want to be honest with you. The future of hospice care is under threat.
Across Aotearoa, hospices provide care and comfort to thousands of people each year – walking alongside one in every three people who die. Here in Taranaki, 330 patients died in our care last year. But the funding model is broken.
Across Aotearoa, hospices provide care and comfort to thousands of people each year – walking alongside one in every three people who die. But the funding model is broken.
Last year it cost more than $226 million to deliver hospice services nationally. The Government funded only half. That left $112 million to be raised by local communities – just to keep services running.
Here in Taranaki, we’re doing everything we can. But without fairer funding, hospices across the country – including ours – will face increasingly difficult choices. We risk:
- Being unable to meet the consistent growth in demand for hospice services, now and into the future
- Struggling to continue providing medical support to community patients through our doctors, especially when GPs are unavailable
- Losing the ability to respond to changing needs with new service innovations.
We believe that every person deserves to die with dignity, in comfort, surrounded by compassion. And we need your voice to help make sure that never changes.
Join the call for fairer hospice funding. www.hospice.org.nz
Together, we can help ensure hospice care remains free and accessible – for your loved ones, for your neighbours, and for future generations.
With heartfelt thanks,
Paul Lamb
CEO
What does Hospice really do?
Here’s what happened at Te Kahu Pairuri Hospice Taranaki this last month:
52 new patients were welcomed into our care:
We’re caring for people right across our region:
Every single day, we’re supporting 255 patients.
And more than ever, our Central Taranaki nurses are there outside of ‘normal hours’—53% more after-hours visits than the previous six months. Because people don’t only need care from 9 to 5.
We farewelled 26 patients this month. Our care continues beyond death—we remain available to support their whānau during a deeply difficult time.
