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

Cantabrians urged to ‘gear up’ against Legionella

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Friday 24 September 2021Media release2 minutes to read

The five golden rules to protect yourself against Legionella

As the Spring weather rolls in to Canterbury with the sun shining today and more good weather forecast for tomorrow, Te Mana Ora – Community and Public Health is urging gardeners to ‘gear up’ to protect themselves against Legionnaires’ disease.

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health, Dr Ramon Pink, says Legionnaires’ disease, caused by legionella bacteria, can start with flu-like symptoms.

“You can mistake it for the flu. Most people get high fever, muscle aches, fatigue and headache, and some get diarrhoea, vomiting and chest pains.

“In severe cases, people develop dry cough that could lead to pneumonia that requires hospitalisation,” says Dr Pink.

This year’s campaign highlights the importance of using the right gear when gardening, particularly when handling compost and potting mix.

Dr Pink says there are five easy ways to avoid Legionnaire’s disease including using the right gear for the job:

  1. Mask up and wear gloves – Use well-fitting disposable face mask and wear gloves when handling compost and potting mix.
  2. Cut (don’t rip) – Open bags of compost or potting mix carefully and away from your face using scissors.
  3. Work outside – Work with compost or potting mix in a well-ventilated outdoor area.
  4. Compost dry? Damp it down – Dampen down compost or potting mix to reduce dust.
  5. Soap it up – Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after the work is done. 

Cases of Legionnaires’ typically increase during the months of September, October and November during gardening season.

In 2019, there were 49 recorded cases of Legionnaires’ disease across Canterbury, West Coast and South Canterbury and last year, there were 52 recorded cases.

“If you are experiencing the symptoms, contact your general practice team immediately, and let them know you have been handling potting mix or compost recently,” Dr Pink says.

The illness may be mild but can sometimes be fatal. Anyone can catch Legionnaires' but people over 50 years of age, those with a long-term illness (particularly lung disease), people with low immunity, and smokers are most at risk.

More information on Legionnaires’ disease can be found on our dedicated website page here: https://www.cdhb.health.nz/gear-up-against-legionella.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 24 September 2021

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