Caring for people at the end of life means thinking not only about today, but also about the generations who will come after us.
For more than 35 years, our inpatient unit in Newtown has been a place of comfort, compassion and expert care for thousands of patients and whānau. As we look ahead to the next 40 years and beyond, we’re asking how we can build on that legacy and create the very best environment for hospice care for the future.
As our communities grow and change, so too does the need for hospice care. Planning now means we can ensure that future generations continue to receive the same exceptional care, compassion and support that families rely on today.
We’re pleased to share that the Mary Potter Hospice Board of Trustees has approved the next stage of planning for a new purpose-built inpatient unit and home for most of our staff in Kenepuru. This is an important milestone in what will be a three-year project to replace our ageing building in Newtown.
While there is still much work ahead, we wanted to share this news with you now because we want our community to hear about this next chapter from us first.
Building in Kenepuru will mean that more patients and their families across the region we serve will be within a 30-minute drive of the hospice, so people can spend less time travelling and more time together when every moment matters.
A purpose-built hospice gives us the opportunity to create an environment designed entirely around the needs of patients and whānau. It means welcoming spaces for families to spend precious time together, peaceful surroundings that support comfort and dignity, and improved access to specialist inpatient hospice care for people across Wellington, Porirua and Kāpiti.
The next stage will focus on developing the plans in more detail, including design work and resource consent. Throughout this process we’ll continue to keep our community informed.
What this means for Newtown and Wellington
The new inpatient hospice will become the home of Mary Potter Hospice’s inpatient service, replacing the current inpatient unit in Newtown and our Porirua base.
Mary Potter Hospice is not leaving Wellington City. We will continue to have a strong presence and a dedicated Wellington City base co-located with the Dame Dorothy Spotswood Charity Hospital in Cuba Street, ensuring we remain close to the communities we serve and the health partners we work alongside.
Most of the people we care for will continue to receive hospice support in the place they most want to be, their own homes. While the location of our inpatient hospice will change, our commitment remains the same: providing compassionate hospice care to people and whānau across Wellington, Porirua and Kāpiti.
We also recognise the deep connection many people have with our Newtown hospice. You may have volunteered there, supported the Hospice, worked alongside our teams, or shared precious moments with someone you love. Those memories are an important part of who we are.
As we look to the future, we’ll also take time to celebrate the role the Newtown hospice has played in the lives of so many families and in the history of Mary Potter Hospice.
Future generations of patients and whānau will continue to receive the same compassionate, expert hospice care in an environment designed to meet their needs for decades to come.
You may have questions about this project, and we’re very keen to share more about our plans.
Thank you for helping make the care and support provided by Mary Potter Hospice possible, for today’s families and for future generations.
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