ORANGE

Hospital visiting guidelines updated 20 July 2022: Hospital visitors must wear a surgical/medical paper mask. Fabric face coverings are no longer acceptable. See our COVID-19 pages for detailed information about hospital visiting guidelines, COVID-19 tests and care in the community advice. See www.vaccinatecanterburywestcoast.nz for information about vaccinations.

We are at ORANGE according to the NZ COVID-19 Protection Framework

Last updated:
20 July 2022

Mask exemptions accepted for people seeking treatment
Any member of the public with a mask exemption is welcome in all our facilities when attending to receive health care and *treatment. Please show your mask exemption card and appointment letter to staff at the entrance.

*Treatment includes: coming into the Emergency Department, outpatient appointments,  surgery or a procedure.

For visitors to all facilities effective from Wednesday 20 July 2022

With the recent resurgence in cases in Canterbury, largely due to the Omicron BA.5 subvariant we are seeing an increase in demand right across the health system. Presentations to our Christchurch ED and Ashburton’s AAU are higher than ever and admission rates are high, which means we have a shortage of resourced beds.

Recently, we have seen too many unwell people coming to visit someone in hospital and too many that cannot or will not wear a medical mask. This increases the risk to vulnerable people in hospital. For these reasons we need to everything we can to minimise these risks.

We have therefore tightened visitor restrictions for all Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury hospitals and health facilities.

Kia whakahaumaru te whānau, me ngā iwi katoa – this is to keep everybody safe:

  • One visitor per patient in the hospital at any given time, except where stated otherwise in the ‘exceptions’ section below.
  • No visitors under 16 to any part of our facilities.
  • No visitors to COVID +ve patients other than in exceptional circumstances.
  • No eating or drinking at the bedside or anywhere other than cafes or areas designated for eating/drinking, as taking your mask off puts patients at risk.
  • Visitors or support people must not visit our facilities if they are unwell with cold or flu-like symptoms (even if they have tested negative) or have had a recent tummy bug.
  • Do not visit if you are COVID +ve or a household contact of someone who has tested positive
  • Surgical/medical masks must be worn at all times at all sites and will be provided if people don’t have them. Mask exemptions do not apply in our facilities – people who cannot tolerate a mask cannot visit at this time.
  • Hand sanitiser stations are visible and must be used.

By sticking to the rules above, you help keep our patients, staff, other visitors and yourself safe. We 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.

Exceptions to the ‘one visitor’ policy

  • Exceptions can apply in some circumstances where trusted whānau members provide assistance, reassurance and other support for therapeutic care or on compassionate grounds – please talk to the ward’s Charge Nurse to discuss this before you come to hospital to visit. For whānau with an essential support role as a Partner in Care – again, please check with the ward’s Charge Nurse before you come to hospital to visit.
  • People attending Christchurch ED or Ashburton AAU can have one support person with them.
  • Women in labour and in the birthing suite can have two named support people + their community LMC/midwife if they have one – for the duration of the birth only. All other women on the Maternity Ward are allowed one support person for the duration of their stay in our facilities at Christchurch Women’s Hospital and other maternity units. Only one support person can be with each woman in the maternity ward, and one support person for maternity clinic appointments. No under 16s are allowed to visit or attend appointments.
  • Parents/caregivers can be with their baby in NICU.
  • Parents/caregivers are able to be with their child in hospital (Except Children’s Haematology and Oncology Day patients where only one parent or caregiver is permitted).
  • People requiring support when attending an appointment can have one support person. Please let the relevant service know if you need this so they are able to accommodate your request.

Visiting patients with COVID-19

  • To avoid them becoming infected with COVID-19 and passing it one, visitors to COVID-19 positive patients will not be allowed except in extenuating circumstances – by prior agreement with the Charge Nurse Manager only, and wearing an N95 mask.
  • Other methods of communication will be facilitated e.g. phone, facetime, zoom etc.

You must NOT visit the hospital if you

  • are a household contact of a COVID-19 positive case
  • are COVID-19 positive
  • Have a cold or flu/COVID-19-like symptoms (even if you are testing negative for COVID-19)

Exceptions for people with disabilities

An exception will be made for people with disabilities who are in hospital or have to attend an outpatient appointment – where they need a support person to access health services. For example, a sign language interpreter, support person for someone with a learning disability, or someone to assist with mobility. The support person is in addition to the one permitted visitor.

Everyone visiting our facilities must wear a mask, no exceptions

While we appreciate that some people have legitimate reasons for being exempt from wearing a mask and may even have an official card to confirm this, people who cannot or will not wear a mask cannot visit someone in hospital or attend hospital, other than to access healthcare treatment*. This is another measure to minimise the risk to vulnerable patients.

*healthcare treatment includes: Emergency Department care, outpatient appointments, surgery or a procedure. 

Patients and visitors should also read the additional more detailed visiting guidelines for each specific hospital.

More COVID-19 information

$1.5m cash injection to Ashburton Hospital

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Tuesday 28 March 2017Media release4 minutes to read

Ashburton Hospital has received a $1.5 million cash injection thanks to community generosity.

Advance Ashburton trustee Gary Fail today presented David Meates, Canterbury DHB Chief Executive with a cheque for $1.5m to go towards the upgrades of Ashburton Hospital.

The donation is in conjunction with the Mackenzie Charitable Trust, the Lion Foundation, the Ashburton Licensing Trust and the Trevor Wilson Charitable Trust.

This will go towards the $8.7m of improvements underway at the hospital which includes building a new 1040sqm Acute Assessment Unit and Day Procedure Theatre.

Mr Meates says it is great to receive such a generous contribution from the community.

“It's remarkable how supportive and engaged the community has been right from when we first announced the upgrade to the facilities here in Ashburton after the Canterbury quakes.

“We are very grateful to have had the people of Ashburton backing us on this journey. Their commitment has meant the best health services, for what has become a very strong and vibrant rural community, are available both now and long into the future. 

“I'm absolutely delighted on behalf of Canterbury DHB to accept this donation today and would like to say a huge thank you to all those who have contributed to this very generous gift.”

Bernice Marra, Ashburton Health Services manager, says it's wonderful to receive the donation towards the new facilities, which opened at the end of last year.

“Already the new facilities are proving to be a huge asset for our community. Staff are just loving working in the fit-for-purpose building, and patients and visitors, are also saying how much of an improvement they are.

“It allows us to keep pace with health care innovations and means our staff can provide the right care to the right person at the right time, both now and well into the future.”

The new Acute Assessment Unit replaces an older, smaller unit and is designed to allow staff to assess, stabilise and provide short-term care for people with acute conditions.

Greg Robertson, Canterbury DHB Head of Surgery, says the AAU provides “state of the art” facilities allowing specialists from Christchurch to perform day procedures for people in Ashburton in its new theatre and recovery suite.​

 “The new facilities together with the $450,000 pledged by the generous community funders to establish a rural health academic centre allowing Ashburton Hospital to build its status as New Zealand's first rural centre of medical excellence.

“It also allows us to offer a wider range of procedures than at present, and has enabled more efficient transfer of patients to and from Christchurch Hospital.”

​ENDS

Group Photo

Front sitting (from left): Margaret Rickard (Advance Ashburton Community Foundation), Alma Lochhead (Lochhead Charitable Trust), Elizabeth Ashford (Advance Ashburton Community Foundation and Bernice Marra (CDHB Ashburton Health Services Manager)

Front standing (from left): CDHB CEO David Meates, Gary Fail (Advance Ashburton Community Foundation), Janette Balfe (Allied Health – Clinical Manager), Jane Brosnahan (Director of Nursing – CDHB), Krunal Shukla (Finance and Business Manager – Ashburton and Rural Health Services) and Dr John Lyons (Clinical Director – Ashburton and Rural Health Services)

Rear standing (from left): Robert Reid (Ashburton Licensing Trust), Rob Harnett (Lion Foundation and Ashburton Licensing Trust), Graham Kennedy (Mackenzie Charitable Foundation), John Acland (Mackenzie Charitable Foundation), Keiran Breakwell (Lion Foundation and Ashburton Licensing Trust), Jim Lischner (Lion Foundation and Ashburton Licensing Trust), Trevor Croy (Lochhead Charitable Trust), and Roger Paterson (Lion Foundation and Ashburton Licensing Trust).

Cheque handover

CDHB CEO David Meates accepts a $1.5m fundraising cheque from Gary Fail of Advance Ashburton Community Foundation (representing the Foundation, the Lion Foundation and Ashburton Licensing Trust, Lochhead Charitable Trust, Wilson Bulk Transport, and Mackenzie Charitable Foundation)

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Page last updated: 3 October 2018

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