North Shore MP Maggie Barry Friday 03 August 2012, 2:01PM
Media release from North Shore MP Maggie
Barry
North Shore Member of Parliament, Maggie Barry, today announced
the formation of an All Parliamentary Group on Palliative
Care.
"This is a significant step toward helping promote a better
understanding among politicians about the outstanding level of
palliative care available in this country. I intend this to
be a group that can work constructively, across party lines to
focus on improving the quality of life for those with life-limiting
conditions. It will be an opportunity to foster discussion
around the challenges of providing palliation in caring for people
with chronic diseases and dementia, advance planning and the health
economics of palliative care.
The NZ All Parliamentary Group has been established in partnership
with Hospice NZ and the palliative care sector will be
modelled on similar ones internationally, including the UK
All Party Parliamentary Group on Dying Well.
"We look forward to welcoming the eloquent Baroness Finlay of
Llanduff, who chairs the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Dying
Well, as the guest speaker at our inaugural meeting." Ilora Finlay
is an Independent Crossbench member of the British House of Lords,
a professor of palliative medicine and a past president of the
Royal Society of Medicine.
In 1998 Maggie Barry chaired a working party into 'Care of people
who are dying' and is a past patron of Mary Potter Hospice and
Hospice New Zealand.
The All Parliamentary Group's inaugural meeting will be held in
the Executive Wing 2.03/04 on Thursday 16 August from 1-145pm which
the media are very welcome to attend.