The DHB's visitor policy has again been updated in response to a sixth day of no new community cases of COVID-19 in our region

Please attribute comment to Tracey Maisey, Canterbury DHB Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) Controller:

Following a sixth day in a row with no new community cases of COVID-19 in Canterbury, and with the region’s four active cases in Managed Isolation and Quarantine facilities, Canterbury DHB has made changes to its visitor restrictions which will come into effect at 11:59pm tonight.

Visitor access to all Canterbury DHB health facilities will revert back to the restrictions previously in place under Delta Alert Level 2.

Please don’t visit the hospital if you don’t need to.

The following visitor restrictions are in place for all Canterbury DHB hospitals and health facilities:

• All visitors need to scan in using the COVID-19 Tracer App or sign in on arrival and provide their contact details
• If you’re using the COVID-19 Tracer App, please ensure Bluetooth tracing is turned on
• All visitors must wear a mask or fabric face covering – please bring your own
• All visitors are expected to practice safe physical distancing. You should remain two metres away from people you don’t know
• Everyone, including visitors should practise good hand hygiene
• Visitors who are unwell should not be entering our facilities.

There is further guidance and restrictions in place at individual facilities as follows.

Christchurch Hospital

• Visiting hours for Christchurch Hospital are from 11am – 1pm and 3pm – 8pm, with only one person visiting at a time
• Exceptions: Charge Nurse Managers can assess requests on a case by case basis. For example, exceptions will be considered on compassionate grounds including for end of life care
• Emergency Department – one support person only to accompany someone presenting to ED
• For children: Paediatric wards (including CHOC) – two caregivers can accompany their child
• Anyone with planned/elective surgery or an outpatient appointment should turn up as planned – if there’s any change to your appointment we’ll contact you directly.

Christchurch Outpatients

• Due to the ongoing need to maintain physical distancing, support people will only be allowed at Christchurch Outpatients by exception only. If you need a support person with you at your appointment, please call the number on your outpatient appointment letter to arrange this.

Burwood Hospital

• The visiting hours at Burwood Hospital are 11am – 7pm with only one person visiting at a time for each patient
• Only one support person can attend with a patient for outpatient appointments and planned/elective surgery
• Exceptions: Charge Nurse Managers can assess requests on a case by case basis. For example, exceptions will be considered on compassionate grounds including for end of life care. Please contact the ward’s Charge Nurse Manager to discuss, or the Duty Nurse Manager after hours.

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

• One support person only to accompany someone presenting for acute assessment
• Women in labour in a maternity facility are allowed two support partners for the duration of the labour and birth
• Women who are having an elective caesarean section are allowed one support person
• For the duration of their postnatal stay a woman can have one named support person who will be able to visit. Siblings of the new baby may accompany, as long as they are well
• Outpatient appointments (including Fetal Maternal Medicine) – a support person will only be permitted under specific criteria determined by staff.

*Note: St Georges Maternity Unit is also following the same guidelines.

Specialist Mental Health Services at Hillmorton campus & The Princess Margaret Hospital site

• One person may visit once per day during Hillmorton Hospital and The Princess Margaret Hospital visiting hours
• One support person per outpatient
• Additional people will be considered by the Clinical/Charge Nurse Manager or Duty Nurse Manager (after hours). This must be by prior arrangement to ensure that we can meet physical distancing requirements.

Ashburton Hospital

Visiting hours are as normal, but:

• One visitor at a time – although more than one person can visit each day
• One support person per outpatient
• One support person to accompany someone to the Ashburton Acute Assessment Unit
• Exceptions: Nurse Managers can assess requests on a case by case basis.

Age-Related Residential Care facilities managed by Canterbury DHB: Oxford Hospital, Darfield Hospital, Ellesmere Hospital, Waikari Hospital, Tuarangi Home

• To ensure the safety of patients, all of whom are aged over 65, visitors to the Aged Residential Care part of this facility are only allowed by prior appointment
• Please contact the facility to discuss with the manager. There may be a separate entrance for visitors, please check with staff.

Park and Ride

• The hospital shuttle service from the Deans Ave car park is running as normal again with a weekend service back up and running and 10 people permitted per shuttle.

Full details of further changes to visiting at other Canterbury DHB facilities, including cafés will be available on our website tonight.

As always, please don’t visit if you’re unwell and remember the usual public health precautions such as hand hygiene and physical distancing.

If you have any COVID-19 symptoms – no matter how mild – please seek a test.

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: https://www.healthinfo.org.nz/. 

ENDS