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

Accessing healthcare in Canterbury under COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions

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Wednesday 18 August 2021Media 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.

Advice has been issued for anyone seeking healthcare under alert level 4 in Canterbury

General Practices, community pharmacies and Urgent Care Centres are all open but they will have some additional measures in place to keep you and others safe.
 
Call your GP number 24/7 for advice on what to do and where to go.
 
Please phone before visiting your medical centre and follow advice. Many of your needs are able to be met by a phone or video consultation, and this will be assessed by the medical team. If you need to visit in person you’ll be asked to wear a mask and sanitise your hands, or to stay in your car. Please bring no more than one support person, who must also wear a mask. Inside the facility, waiting rooms will be arranged to support safe physical distancing and some general practices will ask people with COVID-like symptoms to wait in a separate area. Staff will use appropriate PPE.
 
The Emergency Department at Waipapa and emergency services such as ambulances are available for those who need them – but please save the emergency department for emergencies.
 
If you are well and have concerns about COVID-19, are displaying symptoms or think you need a test please do not attend the ED. Please call your GP or Healthline (0800 358 5453) 24/7 for advice on what to do and where to go.
 
We have increased our testing capacity at our testing centres. Please get tested if you visited a location of interest or have cold and flu symptoms. Details of testing centres in Canterbury can be found here: www.cdhb.health.nz/your-health/canterbury-dhb-covid-19-information/#4.
 
Please note: no on-demand or walk-in COVID-19 testing is being carried out at Christchurch Hospital.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 9 September 2021

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