A call for Christchurch's Burwood Hospital to change its laundering policy in its older persons health ward

A pensioner has spent 15 hundred dollars over eight months laundering heavily soiled clothes for her ex-husband - who's partly paralysed, incontinent and receiving treatment for a rare terminal cancer

Diane Burke says his family or friends won't do it, but she can't afford the 42 dollars each week

She blames cost-cutting by the Canterbury DHB and understaffing.

Burke says her lawyer has told her the hospital should do it - as he's a patient in a publicly funded system - and she's considering sending them an invoice.

The DHB says its policy is to rinse and bag soiled clothing for families of those in the ward.