A belief the absence of a paediatric palliative care specialist, is evidence of a far wider issue

New Zealand's only publicly-funded paediatric palliative care specialist is on extended leave until April.

It's understood general paediatricians at Auckland's Starship Hospital are reluctant to fill the role due to a lack of training.

Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad says she's concerned about the bigger problem -- that there's no national paediatric service for children.

Achmad says this means children at their end stage of life due to terminal illness, are going without the core care they need.