People in Greater Victoria will benefit from improved palliative and end-of-life care with more community hospice beds and acute palliative care beds at the Royal Jubilee Hospital.

“Our government is committed to providing British Columbians with high quality, compassionate and accessible palliative and end-of-life care,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “In total, we have added 15 new beds, which means more services within the community and at the hospital to give Greater Victoria residents access to specialized palliative and end-of-life services for families and loved ones during their final days.”

Island Health, in partnership with Victoria Hospice, is adding eight new community hospice beds to Victoria Hospice, for a total of 18 beds, and seven new acute palliative beds, for a total of 16 beds, to create a new palliative and supportive care unit at the Royal Jubilee Hospital.

“The opportunity to age in place and spend your final days surrounded by a compassionate care team should not be taken for granted,” said Carole James, MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill. “This expansion in palliative and end-of-life care means people in Greater Victoria can rest assured, knowing that their families and loved ones will have access to the best possible care during their final days.” 

Community hospice beds are for patients nearing the end of life whose primary goal is comfort. Acute palliative care beds are for patients at various stages of life-limiting illnesses, who have complex symptom-management needs.

“On behalf of our community, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who have worked tirelessly to improve end-of-life and palliative care services in Greater Victoria,” said Rob Fleming, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake. “Our loved ones deserve access to the services that ensure they are comforted and cared for by highly trained staff. This expansion at the Royal Jubilee Hospital means people will receive the care they deserve when they need it most.”

This expansion brings government’s investment through Island Health for palliative and end-of-life care to $5.8 million annually in Greater Victoria. In both locations, the new services are scheduled to be in place by spring 2020.

This expansion of services is part of Island Health’s commitment to enhance the range of hospice and palliative care services available to people with life-limiting illnesses.  

Quick Facts:

• Island Health and Victoria Hospice work together to provide high quality, accessible services and supports to individuals with advanced illnesses who can no longer be cared for at home.
• Island Health provides health care and support services to more than 800,000 people on Vancouver Island, the islands in the Salish Sea and the Johnstone Strait, and mainland communities north of Powell River.
• Victoria Hospice has provided quality end-of-life care since 1980. A partner of Island Health, Victoria Hospice is a registered charity. Donations fund almost half of annual operating costs and are crucial for the ongoing operation of programs and services.
• Each year, Victoria Hospice's 120 staff and over 300 trained volunteers care for approximately 1,000 patients in their homes or at Victoria Hospice’s inpatient unit.

Learn More:

For more information about hospice care on Vancouver Island, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019HLTH0102-001473

A backgrounder follows.