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.

Kia whakahaumaru te whānau, me ngā iwi katoa – this is 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 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 makes changes to visiting at its facilities under Alert Level 1

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Wednesday 23 September 2020Media release3 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.

The DHB's visitor policy has again been updated as we navigate our way through COVID-19 alert level three

Changes have been made to the DHB's visitor policy

Please attribute comment to Dr Sue Nightingale, Chief Medical Officer, Canterbury DHB:

Following New Zealand (apart from the greater Auckland region) moving to COVID-19 Alert Level 1, Canterbury DHB has made changes to its visitor restrictions.

The key changes are visiting hours and the number of visitors permitted at our hospitals and health centres. 

We continue to encourage people to keep a record of where they go and when via the NZ COVID Tracer App. Please check in using app at the front door when you enter any of our buildings.

Christchurch Hospital

Under COVID-19 Alert Level 1, visiting hours have changed.

They are now 11am to 1pm and 3pm to 8pm until further notice.

In addition:

  • Only one visitor at a time but it can be a different person each time
  • All people attending an outpatient appointment can have one support person with them
  • There can be more than one family member invited to attend a family meeting
  • Parents and caregivers can be present in paediatric areas as normal

Burwood Hospital

  • Visiting is from 11am to 7pm daily

Christchurch Women’s Hospital/Rangiora Health Hub Maternity/Lincoln Maternity/Ashburton Maternity

  • Partners can visit from 8am to 10pm
  • All other visiting is from 3pm until 8pm

At Alert Level 1 visitors are welcome to wear a mask when visiting our facilities but it is not compulsory.

Visiting any Aged Residential Care Facilities operated by Canterbury DHB needs to be arranged by appointment. This includes Tuarangi Home in Ashburton along with our facilities in Kaikoura, Ellesmere, Oxford, Darfield and Waikari.

Full details of further changes to visiting at other Canterbury DHB facilities are available on our website.

As always, please don’t visit if you’re unwell and remember the usual public health precautions such as practising good hand hygiene and staying a safe distance from people you don’t know. 

If you have COVID-19 symptoms (any acute respiratory infection with at least one of the following symptoms: new or worsening cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, stuffy or runny nose, lost sense of smell – with or without a fever) you should contact your General Practice team or call Healthline on 0800 358 5453. You can be tested for COVID-19 at your General Practice or at a community-based testing centre (CBAC). You do not need a referral to attend a CBAC. Find out more about testing on our website.

If you are unwell and need to see a doctor you should call your usual GP team for advice 24/7. For general health information visit healthinfo.org.nz.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 15 February 2021

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