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

New Kaikoura health centre opens – a community effort

Friday 15 April 2016Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury News3 minutes to read

THIS IS AN ARCHIVED PAGE. The advice and information contained in this page may not be current and it should only be used for historical reference purposes.

Kaikoura Health Te Hā o Te Ora was officially opened this afternoon by the Minister of Health, Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman.

The new $13.4 million, 2800m² state-of-the-art facility enjoys views over the Kaikoura ranges and out to the bay. It provides primary, aged, acute and maternity care, radiology services and trauma stabilisation and replaces a 100-year old hospital.

David Meates, Canterbury District Health Board Chief Executive, says the new health centre also features multi-purpose GP rooms, physiotherapy, community dental, optometry, and space for visiting health specialists.
“There are a number of flexible spaces to ensure the facility will meet the needs of the community today and in the future,” he says.
Mr Meates says what makes this new health centre extra special is the fact that the community played such a big role in fundraising to ensure the project went ahead.

“The Government put in $10 million and the remaining $3.4 million has come from the community.

“I would like to acknowledge the many hours of work put in by Joe van Rooyen and other members of the Fundraising Trust and the countless hours given by members of the local community.

“Without people prepared to put their hand up do the hard yards, this facility would not have happened. Fundraising included an op-shop, a polo match, applying for grants and a host of other events.”

Four local people took part in today’s opening ceremony:
The ribbon to Kaikoura Health Te Hā o Te Ora was cut by two future health professionals Hineari Kahu and Tammy Smith-Kerr. Hine is in her second year of med school in Otago and is determined to return to the health centre as a GP. Tammy is a Year 13 pupil at Kaikoura High School and plans to train as a nurse after spending time over the past two years working in Kaikoura Hospital, supporting the nurses and healthcare assistants, as part of the school’s Gateway Programme.

\A commemorative cake was cut by Kaikoura’s oldest resident, 99-year-old Margaret Edgar, who was born in the former Kaikoura hospital. She was ably assisted by ‘Aunty Phyllis Papworth’ as she is known to the locals.
The magnificent voices of the Kai-Chorus entertained hundreds of locals and officials who turned out to celebrate the opening.

“After so many years in the making, days like today – where we can celebrate a project that was delivered on time and on budget with the full backing of the local community – are one of the great highlights of my role,” Mr Meates says.

ENDS

Photos from the opening are available on request.

Back to Health News

Page last updated: 19 October 2022

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