Source: Radio New Zealand
The government will spend $15.5m over four years to set up a national paediatric palliative care service, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced.
The care would be delivered by dedicated specialist teams in both the North and South islands.
At the moment, Health New Zealand funds just one specialist paediatric palliative care physician based at Starship Children’s Hospital.
Health Minister Simeon Brown made the announcement on Thursday morning and said it would mean children with serious illnesses and their families would be better supported with compassionate, specialist paediatric palliative care closer to home.
The new services would roll out from the middle of next year.
Brown said about 300 New Zealand children die each year from life-threatening or life-limiting conditions, and up to 3000 may require paediatric palliative care support.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand