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 can also read the additional COVID-19 related visiting guidelines .

Contact us

Ways to visit or get in touch

Click a button below or scroll down for information about contacting a hospital or other services.

Contacting us

Ways to contact a hospital or Te Whatu OraHealth New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury (formerly Canterbury DHB).

To find out about a patient in hospital, please call the hospital's patient enquiries number below, you can find out more about visiting patients in our Patients and Visitors section.

Ashburton Hospital: 03 307 8450

Burwood Hospital: 03 383 6836

Christchurch Hospital: 03 364 0600

Christchurch Women’s Hospital: 03 364 4309

Hillmorton Hospital: 03 337 7969

Kaikōura Health: 03 319 3500

The Princess Margaret Hospital: 03 337 7800

ALL other hospitals and health facilities

Unable to visit someone in hospital in Canterbury? We can help you stay connected.

Our volunteers can make sure your message gets to them. Please email your message/pictures to patientlink@cdhb.health.nz stating the following information:

  • Who it is from
  • Who it is for
  • Which hospital/ward they are in

Email: You can email Te Whatu Ora, all hospitals in Canterbury, and some of our departments and services using our online form.

Online Enquiry Form

Hospitals: Find key hospital phone numbers listed below. Phone numbers and details about other hospitals are listed on our hospital pages and in our health services directory

Corporate Office: If you need to phone, correspond or visit Te Whatu Ora, our corporate office address and contact details are below.


Christchurch Hospital

  • General enquiries: 03 364 0640
  • Enquiries about patients: 03 364 0600
  • Christchurch Hospital, Riccarton Avenue, Christchurch
  • Christchurch Hospital, Private Bag 4710, Christchurch 8140

Christchurch Outpatients

  • Reception: 03 364 0490
  • 2 Oxford Tce / 245 Antigua St, Christchurch

Christchurch Women's Hospital

  • General enquiries: 03 364 4699
  • Enquiries about patients: 03 364 4309
  • Christchurch Women's Hospital, Riccarton Avenue, Christchurch
  • Christchurch Women's Hospital, Private Bag 4711, Christchurch


Burwood Hospital

  • Enquiries about patients: 03 383 6836
  • Burwood Hospital, 300 Burwood Road, Christchurch
  • Burwood Hospital, Private Bag 4708, Christchurch 8140

Darfield Hospital

Ellesmere Hospital

  • Phone: 03 324 3415
  • Ellesmere Hospital, 25 Cunningham Street, Leeston


Hillmorton Hospital

  • Main reception: 03 337 7969
  • Urgent Adult Service: 0800 920 092
  • Urgent Children & Youth Service: 0800 218 219 option 2
  • Hillmorton Hospital, Annex Road South, Middleton, Christchurch 8024
  • Hillmorton Hospital, Private Bag 4733, Christchurch

Kaikōura Health (Te Hā o Te Ora)

Oromairaki Community Maternity Unit

  • Phone: 03 335 4555
  • Oromairaki, Selwyn Health Hub / Toka Hapāi, 3 Norman Kirk Drive, Rolleston

Oxford Hospital

  • Phone: 03 312 1100
  • Oxford Hospital, 39 Park Avenue, Oxford 7430

Rangiora Health Hub

  • General Enquiries: 03 313 7299
  • 161 Ashley Street, Rangiora 7400

The Princess Margaret Hospital

  • All enquiries: 03 337 7899
  • The Princess Margaret Hospital, Cashmere Road, Christchurch
  • The Princess Margaret Hospital, Private Bag 4733, Christchurch


 

 

Email using our enquiry and feedback form:

Use the enquiry and feedback form to ask a question or give feedback (e.g. complaints, suggestions, compliments) about Te Whatu OraHealth New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury health services.

Before using the form please note:

Contact Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury

Phone: 03 364 4106
Email enquiry: Use the general enquiry form

For hospital related enquiries please use the online enquiry form or telephone the hospital concerned

Physical address

 Te Whatu OraHealth New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury
32 Oxford Terrace
​Christchurch 8011
Map: Google Map

Postal address

 Te Whatu OraHealth New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury
PO Box 1600
Christchurch​ 8140​

District Director's Office

Phone: 03 364 4106

Information about our leadership team

Being in hospital can be a worrying time and there are people you can talk to. If you or your whānau/family have any questions or concerns, please ask staff for assistance. Concerns can often be addressed by talking with the nurse in charge.

If you or your relatives have a personal, domestic, financial problem or issues relating to your hospital stay or discharge, a social worker may be available to assist.

You also have the right to make a complaint about any aspect of services provided (see below).

You can discuss your care and treatment by contacting:

1) The person in charge of the ward or service

2) The customer services manager

AshburtonChatham IslandsDarfieldEllesmereKaikōuraOxfordTūārangi & Waikari Hospitals: 03 307 8450

Burwood Hospital03 383 6836

Canterbury Health Laboratories03 364 0388

Christchurch Hospital03 364 0843

Christchurch Women's Hospital03 364 4556

Mental Health Services03 339 1160

Older Persons Health Service03 339 1160

3) Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury via our website

Feedback Form

4) Patient Advocacy Service

The Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service can assist you.

This service is independent of Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury. It is a free service and provides:

  • Information on Health and Disability Consumer Rights
  • Assistance to answer questions and resolve difficulties
  • Help you make a complaint

Phone: 0800 555 050

Christchurch Advocacy Office
Phone: 03 377 7501

5) Health and Disability Commissioner's Office

You may also go directly to the Health & Disability Commissioner's Office with your concerns.

Phone: 0800 11 22 33 or 09 373 1060

Complaints

Complaints provide us with an opportunity to review and improve our services.

We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days of receiving it.

We endeavour to investigate your complaint within 20 working days from the date of acknowledgement. We will tell you if this will take longer and the reasons this is necessary.

Where extensive investigations are required, you will be kept informed in writing on a monthly basis, or at agreed intervals until the matter is resolved.

If you want independent support to help you during the complaint process, you may wish to use the free advocacy services available (detailed above).

All media enquiries about Te Whatu OraHealth New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury should be directed to the Communications team.

For details about how to make an enquiry see Information for the media in our Health news section.

Please send your request via email to hnzOIA@health.govt.nz; or post your request to:

Official Information Act request
Te Whatu Ora / Health New Zealand,
PO Box 793,
Wellington 6140

When sending an OIA, please identify clearly that your OIA request is specific to Waitaha Canterbury or Te Tai o Poutini West Coast.

You can find out more about how to make an OIA request on www.tewhatuora.govt.nz 

Send us appointment enquiries using the email address on your appointment letter or the online contact form.

If you need to cancel your surgery or appointment, please call the phone number on your appointment letter as soon as possible and let the department know.

You have the right to see your health record and other information that Te Whatu Ora holds about you.

There are three ways to get in touch and request a copy of your own medical records / patient information from the Patient Information Office:

  1. Complete and return a Release of Health Information form with a copy of your identification (needs to be formal identification such as a drivers licence or passport)
  2. Phone the Patient Information Office: 03 378 6907
  3. Email the Patient Information Office: patientinformation@cdhb.health.nz

Suppliers of services to Te Whatu OraHealth New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury (formerly Canterbury DHB) can email invoices, statements and accounts related enquiries to accountspayable@cdhb.health.nz 

You can find out more about purchase orders, payments and procurement on our Information for suppliers page.

Use the New Zealand Relay service

What is NZ Relay?

NZ Relay is a telecommunications service for people who are deaf, hearing-impaired, deaf-blind, or speech-impaired. All NZ Relay calls are confidential, your conversation and information is are kept private and secure.

How NZ relay works

Pick from a list of all services on the NZ relay website,  or you can pick the NZ relay service by identifying a service that best suits your needs.

You can type, sign or speak to the NZ Relay Assistant. The NZ Relay Assistant will:

  1. Tell the staff member what you have said to them
  2. Tell you the staff members response

 

Crutches, walking frames and other Physiotherapy (physio) and Occupational Therapy (OT) equipment can be returned to Christchurch Hospital and Burwood Hospital.

To return hospital medical equipment at Christchurch Hospital

  • Come in the main campus entrance off Riccarton Avenue.
  • Drive past the Emergency Department entrance (on your left) and down the ramp in the lower ground car park.
  • Drive around the car park back towards the exit.
  • There is a trolley on the left near the double doors where you can leave the equipment.

To return hospital medical equipment at Burwood Hospital

Hospital medical equipment includes (but is not limited to):

  • Walking frames
  • Shower stools
  • Toilet frames
  • Bed levers
  • Crutches
  • Pulse oximeters
  • Any hospital equipment you no longer need.

If you lose personal property while in hospital, please call the hospital concerned, and ask for “lost property”.

Please provide the following details:

  • Your name
  • A contact phone number
  • What items you have lost
  • Where you lost them, e.g. Emergency Department, Ward 10 etc
  • When you lost them, e.g. between 3pm and 10pm on Tuesday

To report fraud or any other activities you're concerned about in the health system, call The Health Integrity Line – 0800 424 888. This is a free and anonymous 24/7 phone line. 

This includes but is not limited to:

  • dishonesty or inappropriate use of public money
  • inappropriate use of technology
  • workplace bullying
  • theft
  • drug use
  • harassment.

The Health Integrity Line is primarily for the use of health sector employees. If you’re an employee and are calling about serious wrongdoing in or by your workplace you’ll be advised of your rights under the Protected Disclosures Act 2000 (known as the ‘Whistle-blower Act’).

Page last updated: 21 February 2024

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