Palliative care publications

This statement includes information about palliative care health services, as well as key definitions and an overview of equity considerations, system pressures, and population projections. It also outlines the aims of the Work Programme which include ensuring we have an equitable and sustainable palliative care system that meets the current and future needs of patients, whānau-family carers, and communities.

Position statement on palliative care in Aotearoa New Zealand, National Palliative Care Steering Group [PDF, 302 KB]

This report captures the experiences of consumers and whānau from underserved communities, and those who provide health and social care to these communities.

The voices of underserved communities in palliative care [PDF, 3.7 MB]

This report outlines the key themes from over 1000 responses to our national survey about palliative care services for adults.

Palliative care national survey key themes report [PDF, 700 KB]

This guide outlines the requirements to ensure consistent and quality care for all New Zealand adults at the end of life.

Te Ara Whakapiri: Principles and guidance for the last days of life

The review presents a refreshed strategic direction for adult palliative care and proposes a suite of initiatives to help manage future increases in demand for palliative care. It is accompanied by an action plan setting out short- to long-term priorities.

Review of Adult Palliative Care Services in New Zealand

The Palliative Care Council of New Zealand’s position statement on euthanasia and related issues.

The Palliative Care Council of New Zealand’s Position on Euthanasia

A National Professional Development Framework for Palliative Care Nursing Practice in Aotearoa New Zealand describes the competencies required for all nurses to provide palliative care across a range of clinical settings.

A National Professional Development Framework for Palliative Care Nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand

The purpose of the report is to determine how close hospice and hospital providers of specialist palliative care services were to meeting the new draft service specification for specialist palliative care.

Gap Analysis of Specialist Palliative Care in New Zealand: Providing a national overview of hospice and hospital-based services

This report provides an estimate of the number of people who might benefit from palliative care in New Zealand.

National Health Needs Assessment for Palliative Care Phase 1 Report: Assessment of Palliative Care Need

Advance Care Planning: A guide for the New Zealand health care workforce was prepared as a response to the increasing sector focus on the need for clear and accurate information and guidance regarding ACP in the New Zealand context.

Advance Care Planning: A guide for the New Zealand health care workforce

This document establishes a framework for palliative care to inform strategic decision-making across all health settings in New Zealand.

Measuring What Matters: Palliative Care

This publication looks at health literacy barriers to palliative care for Māori patients and their whānau and explores ways to improve the quality of services.

Palliative Care and Māori from a Health Literacy Perspective

These referral criteria aim to create a more uniform understanding about palliative care provision across all settings, including both hospice and hospital palliative care services.

Referral Criteria for Adult Palliative Care Services in New Zealand

The Framework describes the levels of palliative care required in New Zealand including the resources and capabilities needed to support service delivery.

Resource and Capability Framework for Integrated Adult Palliative Care Services in New Zealand

This glossary aims to initiate a common understanding of terms used in palliative care in New Zealand.

New Zealand Palliative Care Glossary

Information on palliative care capacity and capability in New Zealand hospices and hospital palliative care services.

National Health Needs Assessment for Palliative Care Phase 2 Report: Palliative Care Capacity and Capability

This action plan supports the findings, priorities and actions of the Review of Adult Palliative Care Services in New Zealand.

Palliative Care Action Plan

Palliative care is the care of people who are dying from active, progressive diseases or other conditions that are not responsive to curative treatment.

Palliative care embraces the physical, social, emotional and spiritual elements of wellbeing–tinana, whānau, hinengaro and wairua – and enhances a person’s quality of life while they are dying.

Palliative care also supports the bereaved family/whānau.

The New Zealand Palliative Care Strategy