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

Dental Department

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The Dental Department provides specialist dental care to people in the Canterbury region. It is also a tertiary referral centre for the West Coast and Nelson and Marlborough regions.

The Hospital Dental Department provides care in the following dental services:

  • Special Care Dentistry
  • Pedodontics
  • Orthodontics
  • Prosthodontics
  • Maxillofacial Prosthetics
  • After hours emergency trauma

The department also offers a Full Dental Clearance service and a daily Relief of Pain clinic.

If you have dental pain and you receive a WINZ benefit, then you are eligible to attend The Relief of Pain Clinic at the Dental Department.

  • Relief of Pain Clinics run every weekday, except for public holidays.
  • The clinics start at 8:30am for the morning session and 1:30pm for the afternoon session.
  • One tooth is treated per visit.
  • Subsidised charges apply for the service (a WINZ quote can be given):
  • Consult (including X-rays and/or prescription) $25
  • Treatment (if provided at the same appointment) $20
  • Total cost for a consult and treatment on the same day $45

To book a place at the relief of pain clinic, phone the Dental Department on 03 364 0250, no referral from a doctor or dentist is required.

If you require all, or at least all your upper or lower teeth, to be removed and you receive a WINZ benefit, you may be eligible for the full dental clearance clinic at the Hospital Dental Service.

To attend this clinic you need to be referred to the department. Referrals are accepted from your General Practice (GP), General Dentist or other health professional.

Page last updated: 13 February 2024

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