One-stop service: The new hospice centre at Queen Mary Hospital will provide care services to cancer patients.

Services for terminal-stage cancer patients with palliative care have been enhanced with the extension of the Li Ka Shing Foundation Heart of Gold Hospice Programme from the Mainland to Hong Kong.

The Hospital Authority will add $23 million to the fund's $42 million which can help an additional 5,000 cancer patients with 20,000 day attendances and 12,000 home visits.

Under the programme eight hospice day-care centres across seven hospital clusters will be formed combining a comfortable home-like atmosphere with convenient access to professional care, equipment and expertise, and social and psychiatric support resources in one hub.

Over a three-year period new integrated programmes will provide comfort and care services such as day care, home care, community education, volunteer training and research.

The palliative care services will also extend psychological and bereavement support to anguished families, especially children. About 8,000 psychological counselling sessions will be provided to aid 750 bereaved children and 500 families.

The funds will also be used to hire more medical and counselling professionals to join the service.

Authority chairman Anthony Wu said palliative care service is a core component of cancer care and will be provided when terminal cancer is diagnosed.

The eight public hospitals joining the palliative programme are Queen Mary, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern, Grantham, Queen Elizabeth, United Christian, Princess Margaret, Prince of Wales and Tuen Mun Hospitals.