Parting is such sweet sorrow for Dr Juliet Fleming, who has hung up her stethoscope after 18 years at Nelson Tasman Hospice.
From “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do”, to a legacy of compassion, clinical excellence and a deep connection with colleagues and unwavering support to thousands of patients and families, Juliet leaves an indelible mark at the place she labels her second home.
“Whether it’s patients, families, or staff, it’s always the people,” she says.
“I am so proud of this team… watching people grow into palliative care, supporting each other, it’s been really special.
“The laughter we have, with each other, and with patients, it’s incredible. Humour is much more potent than any medicine I can prescribe.”
Hailing from the Scottish Highlands, hospice care in Nelson Tasman greeted Juliet with four beds and no permanent daytime staff.
Working alongside colleagues, she helped build a more proactive and holistic model of care.
This included introducing outpatient clinics, strengthening links with the hospital, and delivering education for GPs, district nurses and junior doctors.
“We really pushed education… and developed Health Pathways – a localised online resource available for all clinicians to help deliver palliative care in hospitals, aged care facilities and at home, so that palliative care became something much more proactive,” she says.
“Today, that approach is embedded in how care is delivered, supporting people earlier, and often in their own homes.”
Despite those gains, Juliet says a common misconception remains that hospice care is only for the very end of life.
She says plainly that it is untrue that the only way out of hospice is “in a box”.
While the inpatient unit is there at the end of life for some, “the vast majority of people on the hospice service are actually cared for at home… hospice is about living as well as possible,” she says.
“It should be a human right to have good palliative care so that we can die well, as well as live well.”
Nelson Tasman Hospice says Juliet’s impact will continue even as she steps away for a well-earned break, with plans to reconnect with loved ones in the UK and more time sailing (a lifelong passion).
