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

Canterbury & West Coast Musculoskeletal Service

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  4. Canterbury & West Coast Musculoskeletal Service

Canterbury and West Coast Musculoskeletal Service is a publicly funded service for patients with non-urgent musculoskeletal conditions that do not require surgery.

The Musculoskeletal Specialty focuses on problems, including pain, in muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and bones. The exception to this is inflammatory joint disease which is usually dealt with by Rheumatologists.

Orthopaedic Surgeons deal with the surgical management of these problems.

Many patients presenting with these problems respond well to a non-surgical approach. ​​

Patients receive a free 30 minute consultation with a registered Musculoskeletal Specialist at a Community Clinic.

The clinics are run by a Musculoskeletal Specialist registered with the NZ Medical Council. We encourage people to have active engagement in their treatment. A Physiotherapist will supervise your long term home-based rehabilitation exercises.

Referrals are accepted for patients who are registered with a medical practice in Canterbury or the West Coast districts.

Patients must be referred by a registered medical practitioner to the Canterbury and West Coast Musculoskeletal Service or Orthopaedic Department of Christchurch or Grey Base Hospital. The Hospital will triage your referral and, if deemed appropriate, on-refer it to us.

The service does not cover injury related problems that are funded by ACC.

Once we receive a written referral from your registered medical practitioner, you will be invited to book an appointment at one of our community clinics.

Bookings can be made by telephone​. Attempting to book an appointment without an appropriate referral will not be successful.

Patients with CDHB referrals can book appointments online through:


​Pegasus 24hr Surgery
401 Madras Street
Christchurch

The Riccarton Clinic
6 Yaldhurst Road
Riccarton
Christchurch

Page last updated: 21 June 2022

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