Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says an extra $4.6 million will be pumped into Hospice Waikato over the next four years.

The extra funding will take effect from July 1 and the region's largest palliative care provider will receive about $1.1m a year over four years from the Waikato District Health Board.

Hospice Waikato's Cobham Dr facility in Hamilton. The palliative care provider will receive and extra $4.6 million in funding over the next four years. Photo: Hospice Waikato/Facebook

'Hospices make a huge difference to people's lives by ensuring terminally ill people are as free from pain and suffering as possible,” says Dr Coleman. 'They also provide valuable care and support for families and friends.

'As New Zealand's population grows and ages, the demand for palliative care continues to increase.”

Dr Coleman says this is why in Budget 2015 the Government allocated $52m over four years to help hospices around the country expand their community palliative care services.

The extra funding means the team at Hospice Waikato will be able to better support terminally ill people at home and in aged-care facilities.

'This funding boost is part of the Government's commitment to delivering high quality services closer to home.”

In 2013, more than 15,000 people received care and support from hospice services throughout New Zealand, and hospice staff made over 145,000 home visits.

Just over 20 per cent of people using hospice services were aged under 60 and three-quarters had a cancer-related disease.

For more information about Hospice Waikato visit: www.hospicewaikato.org.nz