Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Health officials are weighing up what a national palliative care service for children might look like, after the sector was plunged into crisis when its only specialist went on leave.
RNZ reported last month the country had no-one trained and available in paediatric palliative care as the only publicly-funded specialist was away, affecting the hospital's ability to prescribe medications for terminally ill children.
Health New Zealand then came under fire after promising it was actively recruiting more staff, despite not advertising any jobs.
There is currently no national government-funded palliative care service for children. Aside from a specialist at Starship who covers the Auckland region, there is only one other specialist working for the charity Rei Kōtuku, which is funded entirely by donations.
A review of national palliative care services has been underway, including a working group looking at services for children.
The working group has now presented three options for feedback.
The first option creates a national paediatric palliative care clinical service network by joining existing services together, with funding to provide 24/7 support to generalist paediatrics providing care. This was the "most feasible and cost-effective option," the working group report said.
Option two would create a national service as well as setting up two new hubs to serve the upper North Island and South Island. The current service at Starship would expand to serve Northland.
"A two-hub model would mirror the proven success of the National Child Cancer Network and support generalist PPC services to deliver palliative care with consultations, advice and guidance from the specialist hubs. This option may require recruitment (over time) of expertise that may not be immediately available in New Zealand," the report said.
Hub locations were not confirmed.
The third option was to set up a national service and four hubs, with each having a specialist multidisciplinary team in four regions, such as Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland.
"This option has an emphasis on face-to-face contact between specialist PPC and whānau, requiring staff to travel as needed, and would provide services closer to home for more tamariki and their whānau. This option may also require recruitment (possibly over an extended period of time) of expertise that may not be immediately available in New Zealand.
The report does not give estimates of how much each option might cost.
Health New Zealand director of community and mental health funding Debbie Holdsworth said it was seeking feedback on the whether the proposals will meet needs, resources required for a national network, which option they like best and the proposed make up of interdisciplinary teams.
Feedback closes on Friday 2 May.
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