Lange now in hospital care

David Lange, pictured at an Indian community ceremony in Auckland this month, is comfortable and alert "as much as he can be" in Middlemore Hospital, brother Peter says. Picture / Greg Bowker

Former Labour Prime Minister David Lange has been in hospital for the past week.

His wife, Margaret Pope, said Mr Lange had been in Middlemore Hospital since last Friday. She would not comment on his health.

"It's serious enough for him to be in hospital. He couldn't be looked after at home."

In 2002, Mr Lange was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare incurable plasma disorder that causes a build-up of excess protein from bone marrow. Insoluble proteins enter the blood supply and damage the organs.

In efforts to delay the disease, Mr Lange's treatment has included chemotherapy, blood transfusions and, more recently, dialysis.

His brother, Peter, said Mr Lange, 62, was comfortable and alert. "He is comfortable. I saw him today and we exchanged one or two jokes.

"You can't be with him for long without having a bit of a laugh. He's had so many things wrong that it's really hard to know what it is.

"I don't know what the doctors are putting it down to, really.

"He was himself today, he's kind of alert, as much as he can be, but physically he's just being assessed.

"I've just been away and seen his children so I was able to go and talk to him about that and we just talked about a lot of stuff.

"He was pretty on the ball really."

Peter Lange said Emily and Byron Lange, who live in Britain, had not yet decided whether to fly back to be with their father. His other children are Roy and Edith.

"I think at the moment things are very much on hold because there's no critical thing happening. It's just a wait-and-see thing."

Mr Lange was Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989.