Tina McCafferty on Leading Hospice Care with Heart and Purpose

Tina McCafferty, CEO of Tōtara Hospice, is driven by a powerful belief: everyone deserves dignity, respect, and choice at the end of life.

In this episode of Purposely Podcast, she shares her journey from Glasgow to New Zealand and how she leads one of the country’s most inclusive and patient-focused hospices, serving communities across South and East Auckland.

For Tina, hospice care is about much more than medicine. It’s about honouring people’s wishes and helping them live well right to the end. She leads with empathy and purpose, ensuring that care is centred on what matters most to patients and their families.

A major part of her leadership has been guiding Tōtara Hospice through the introduction of assisted dying in New Zealand. Tina speaks openly about the need to respect individual choices, while supporting families and staff through the emotional and ethical complexity that comes with it. Her approach balances compassion, honesty, and courage—always keeping patients at the centre.

Most hospice care doesn’t happen inside a building. Over 80% of Tōtara’s work takes place in people’s own homes, where staff and volunteers provide thousands of visits and interventions each year. Tina stresses the importance of connection and compassion in this work—making sure care feels personal, supportive, and empowering.

She also understands the power of storytelling. The recent TV documentary Hospice Heroes gave the public a rare window into the real experiences of patients and families. For Tina, the true heroes are the people who shared their journeys, helping to break down myths and show hospice care as it really is: human, heartfelt, and vital.

Alongside all this, Tina is clear-eyed about the challenges. Funding hasn’t kept pace with rising demand or costs, and hospices must pay staff fairly if they are to keep skilled professionals. These pressures are real, but she approaches them with practicality and optimism, confident that New Zealand can find solutions.

Tina’s leadership is defined by care, courage, and community. She reminds us that hospice care is not just a service at the end of life but an essential part of the health system—one that deserves recognition, respect, and proper support. Her work is a call to ensure that everyone, no matter their circumstances, can live—and die—with dignity.