Bay of Plenty hospice leaders are welcoming a nationwide multimillion-dollar funding boost from Health New Zealand but say it is not enough.
A one-off funding package of $3.1 million to be shared by New Zealand's 27 hospices was announced last week.
It comes after there was no additional funding for hospice care announced in the Budget 2022 last month.
Together, New Zealand's hospices have a $170m price tag to deliver free specialist palliative care, according to Hospice New Zealand.
Rotorua Community Hospice chief executive Jonathon Hagger was hopeful the service would receive about $45,000 and said it would be directed into patient care.
"This amount will go only a little way towards achieving our income shortfall budget of $1.2m for the year," Hagger said.
Rotorua Community Hospice CEO Jonathon Hagger. Photo / Supplied
"The one-off funding does not address the huge divide between income and the actual cost of delivering hospice services."
Hagger said, as a community hospice, Rotorua's clinical staff were on the road constantly and the increased cost of fuel was having a direct impact as they served a large area.
He said it was committed to providing palliative care free of charge but more sustainable funding was needed long term.
"We are hopeful that the leaders in the new Health NZ entity will have a far greater understanding of the need for increased funding of palliative services."
Lake Taupō Hospice Trust chief executive Karlynne Earp and chair Alan Vane said the funding was "much needed and welcomed".
"Although a drop in the ocean when factoring the 27 hospices with government contracts, now more than ever, every dollar counts. Our Hospice alone has an income shortfall in excess of a million dollars a year.
"As one of the smallest hospices in the country, with only around 30 per cent of our cost covered by our Health NZ contract, we have seen first-hand the burden that rising cost of delivering our services has had on our already generous community."
Waipuna Hospice chief executive Richard Thurlow said "every little bit helps" but the funding would not really address the high-cost pressures hospices were facing.
"It is not that I am not thankful, but this gesture will only make a small difference to us – this year we are predicting sizeable deficits," Thurlow said.
"We have a future of higher salary expectations from staff as we see District Health Board (DHB) staff being awarded equity payments. This is putting huge pressure on hospices in New Zealand.
"Waipuna Hospice predicts deficits for the future unless some of the funding awarded to DHBs to meet pay equity trickles down to us - and other non-government organisations."
Waipuna Hospice chief executive Richard Thurlow. Photo / George Novak
Thurlow said he did not have an exact amount it would receive but the formula was being determined by the Hospice New Zealand membership.
Hospice New Zealand acting chief executive Wayne Naylor said they were "grateful" after their disappointment that hospices received nothing in Budget 2022.
"It gives our hospices some breathing space at a time when our communities are shouldering the burden of the increased cost to deliver quality palliative care."
Naylor hoped the one-off investment signalled the Government was listening to the struggling sector.
"$3.1m is merely a drop in the bucket towards the $81.6m we need to raise in our communities to provide free palliative care," Naylor said.
Hospice New Zealand acting chief executive Wayne Naylor. Photo / Supplied
"The last significant funding boost was in 2015. Since then, the cost of delivering care and support services has grown by over $30m a year.
"The majority of these increased costs are being passed onto the community as hospices have to increase fundraising."
Naylor said it was "up for the challenge" to work with Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority.
"Hospice needs fairer, more sustainable investment so we can continue to deliver the very best palliative care services and support for Kiwis when they need it most."
