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 DHB sets up 0800 number for people to check if their planned surgery or outpatient appointment is affected by the junior doctors’ strike action on the 15th and 16th January

Thursday 10 January 2019Media release2 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.
An 0800 info line has been set up for Canterbury patients during the Junior Doctor's strike

An 0800 info line has been set up for Canterbury patients during the Junior Doctor's strike

Please attribute to Michael Frampton, Chief People Officer, Canterbury DHB

People who have surgery or an outpatient clinic booked on Tuesday 15th or Wednesday 16 January and haven’t had a call from the DHB can check if their surgery or outpatient appointment is going ahead next week by calling 0800 778 226. 

This line will be answered 8am – 5pm daily until Thursday 17 January.

When you call, you should state your name, contact phone number and NHI number if you have it [Your NHI number is on your appointment letter and contains three letters and four digits eg ABC 1234.] After-hours you can leave a message and someone will call you back.

Canterbury DHB is trying to call everyone whose surgery or appointment has to be rescheduled. If you haven’t heard from us and you haven’t been around your phone or don’t have voice mail, please call 0800 778 226 number to check if your appointment or surgery is still on.

Some complex surgeries in the days leading up to the 48 hour strike – which runs from 7am Tuesday 15 January until 7am on Thursday 17 January – are also being rescheduled.

We apologise to those who have been affected, our focus is on safe care and to ensure our available resources are put to the best use. To ensure we have capacity for emergency care, we need to reduce the number of people in our hospitals and health centres.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 19 October 2022

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