In August 2023, Tess Moeke-Maxwell co-authored a paper that delves into the profound impacts of social inequity on palliative care, along with Maddy French and Lorraine Hansford. The paper titled, “Reflecting on choices and responsibility in palliative care in the context of social disadvantage”, provides a crucial analysis of the challenges faced by frontline professionals in ensuring equitable end-of-life care, especially in the context of structural injustices and socio-economic disadvantages.

A new paper published in BMC Palliative Care offers a crucial perspective on the implementation of assisted dying (AD) in Aotearoa New Zealand. It explores the experiences of health care providers (HCPs) and their adaptation to AD legislation introduced in November 2021.

n Aotearoa, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly reshaped the concept of end-of-life care. Some of our Te Ārai researchers, led by Tessa Morgan and Merryn Gott, delve into this sensitive area in their insightful article: "A bad time to die? Exploring bereaved families/whānau experiences of end-of-life care under COVID-19 restrictions: a qualitative interview study". This research focuses on the experiences of 30 ethnically diverse next-of-kin in Aotearoa who navigated the end-of-life care of their loved ones during these challenging times.

Dr Deborah Raphael has earned a highly competitive Health Research Council NZ early career researcher grant.