VISITING HOSPITAL

All hospital visitors are recommended to wear a medical face mask. Expand this message for information about visiting hospital.

Last updated:
13 March 2023

Some visitor restrictions for all Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury hospitals and health facilities remain in place, but we have relaxed others.

There is still a heightened risk to vulnerable people in hospital and so we recommend all people wear a mask when visiting any of our facilities and follow other advice designed to keep patients, staff and visitors safe.

To keep everybody safe:

Visitors or support people must not visit our facilities if they are unwell. Do not visit if you have recently tested positive for COVID-19 and haven’t completed your isolation period.
Patients may have more than one visitor, except in some situations such as multi-bed rooms where it can cause overcrowding.
Surgical/medical masks are recommended to be worn at all sites. Masks will be provided if you don’t have one.
For Specialist Mental Health Services everyone is strongly encouraged to wear a face mask in all inpatient areas and areas where consumers are receiving care (i.e. community appointments, home-visits, transporting people). Discretion may be applied in cases where masks impair your ability to communicate effectively.
Visitors must not eat or drink in multibed rooms because of the increased risk when multiple people remove their face mask in the same space.
Hand sanitiser is available and must be used.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as our staff work hard to protect and care for some of the most vulnerable in our community.

Visiting patients with COVID-19

People can visit patients who have COVID-19 but they must wear an N95 mask – this will be provided if you don’t have one.
Other methods of communication will be facilitated e.g. phone, Facetime, Zoom, WhatsApp etc where visits aren’t possible.

All of our Hospitals

Visiting hours for our hospitals have returned to pre COVID-19 hours with the exception of Christchurch Women’s Hospital.

All visitors are recommended to wear a medical face mask.

Parents/caregivers are able to be with their child in hospital and visitors are now allowed, except for the Children’s Haematology and Oncology Day stay where just one parent/caregiver is able to attend their appointment with their child. Exceptions by special arrangement only.

Patients and visitors should also read the additional more detailed visiting guidelines for each specific hospital.

More COVID-19 information

After hours and emergencies

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Health services directory

After hours and emergencies

Services listed below include, Urgent Care Clinics, extended hours pharmacies, and the Emergency Department at Christchurch Hospital.

See our I’m not well, where do I go? page for information about what to do in a Mental Health emergency, and the Emergency Dentists page for information about urgent dental care.

COVID-19: See our COVID-19 section for advice.

After-hours online doctors appointments / telehealth

For some illnesses you can talk with a doctor online after-hours, without leaving home, and they can send prescriptions (if required) to a pharmacy that you choose.

There are various online doctor services available – go to Healthify (formerly Health Navigator) for a list of telehealth doctor’s services available, and for more information about how to book an appointment with a doctor online.

Please keep the Hospital Emergency Department for emergencies only.

Please remember if it’s not an emergency, we have three Urgent Care clinics (24hr Surgery, Moorhouse Medical Centre and Riccarton Clinic) where:

Kids under 14 have free medical visits after hours (after 6pm weekdays and during weekends). *excluding Moorhouse Medical who do not provide free under 14 after-hours care.
Pharmacies are open late on-site
Community Services Card holders pay less
X-rays* and plaster casts* for broken bones are available
It’s less than 5km to Christchurch Hospital if your condition changes

*There is a fee for xray and plaster cast services for all patients including children under 14. To check the fees charged by each clinic please see their websites which are on the service pages listed above.

5 health services.

24 Hour Surgery

You can go to the 24 Hour Surgery on Madras Street for any urgent medical issue that you would otherwise see your GP for, as well as accident related injuries such as sprains, cuts or broken bones.

More information

Emergency Department at Christchurch Hospital

Christchurch Hospital Emergency Department (ED) is open for emergency and urgent serious medical issues 24/7. People need to enter ED using the external entrance at the new Waipapa building which is behind Christchurch Women's Hospital.

More information

Extended Hours Pharmacies in Christchurch

Information about extended hours pharmacies in Christchurch and Canterbury.

More information

Moorhouse Medical Centre

If you have an accident, injury or illness that needs urgent medical care, you can just walk into Moorhouse Medical Centre at any time. No appointment is necessary.

More information

Riccarton Clinic

Riccarton Clinic provides triaged walk-in access to medical and accident treatments during our extended hours of operation from 8am - 8pm Monday to Sunday.

More information

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Page last updated: 29 January 2024

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