Taranaki Palliative Care Plan

5 April 2013

The vision for the Taranaki Palliative Care Plan is  an integrated and co-ordinated palliative care service which provides all people with palliative care needs, their families and whanau, equitable access across Taranaki to an appropriate level and quality of palliative care services, provided in a culturally appropriate way.

The Taranaki Palliative Care Plan is a systematic and informed approach to the provision and funding of palliative care services in our district. The plan is intended to prepare our services to meet the identified need for palliative care in the future.

Palliative care is an approach which aims to optimise a person’s quality of life until death by
addressing the person’s physical, psychosocial, spiritual and cultural needs; and supporting their family, whanau, and other caregivers where needed.

This plan was developed using a consultation approach, which included both consumers and
providers, to identify strengths and gaps in existing services. The plan seeks to build on existing services to meet future need.

Reorientation and greater integration of the current system will provide increasing opportunities for shared care and access to specialist services based on assessed need rather than diagnosis or geographical location.

Developing the capacity of primary/generalist providers is therefore critical to achieving the vision of the Palliative Care Strategy.

The plan outlines seven strategies for the sustainable delivery of Palliative Care in Taranaki:
1. Develop and Support Models of Care to Meet Population Need
2. Workforce Development and Education
3. Develop a Palliative Care Approach in TDHB Hospital and Specialist Services
4. Implement Advance Care Planning
5. Provide Support for Family/Whanau Carers
6. Improve Access to Information for Providers and Consumers
7. Measure Quality and Outcomes

Click here to download the Taranaki Palliative Care Plan 2013-16 (PDF 397 KB)

Last updated: Friday, April 5, 2013