Rambling Rich – April 2024
Waipuna Hospice is a member of the Te Manawa Taki region and to assist with planning and equitable service provision across this diverse and large region, we are joining our sister hospices in the region in an alliance.
Many of you will have heard about the constant pressure and change that is taking place within our healthcare system from the media. The pressure to deliver equitable healthcare services against a backdrop of change and reduced staffing numbers is very real across the whole health sector and Waipuna Hospice is no exception to this situation.
The high cost of living and the impact this has on our ability to fundraise and raise income from our retail shops is adding additional pressure to our financial sustainability. Waipuna Hospice, through the highly appreciated support of our local community, co-funds over half of our services from this income. This is a staggering fact and specialist hospice palliative care does not appear to be a priority for Health NZ/Te Whatu Ora or successive government administrations. This is despite repeated commitments from governments that Hospice funding nationally would be maintained at 70%.
Costs are increasing and wage cost pressure is higher than ever. We work in a very competitive employment market and must maintain parity with the benchmark salary rates across all the industries we work in (health, retail and fundraising). This is looking to be increasingly difficult.
I know that many of you will be worried about this situation and will again show your fantastic support for us through donations of money, goods for our shops or time whilst volunteering – thank you for this. It is greatly appreciated and we would not have such a comprehensive service in Western Bay of Plenty without your support!
It is time as a nation to have a wider conversation – do we value the care we receive at the end of someone’s life? Does this care benefit society when it is available and provided across NZ in an equitable and compassionate way? Is it time for Health NZ to listen to providers of end-of-life care and prioritise it as a separate pillar for care provision – we have “Living Well”, why not “Dying Well”?
Most importantly – do we value the care provided enough to fund it so it is sustainable into the future?
This is an important question that will be the focus of my discussions with my healthcare colleagues.
As always, thank you for reading this newsletter – you will see the impact we have on our community through what we do and find opportunities to support us through many different ways.
Ngā mihi,
Rich
This update was first published in our newsletter – Waipuna Connections, Issue 86.
