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 can also read the additional COVID-19 related visiting guidelines .

Canterbury DHB pleased increased mental health need recognised

Monday 21 March 2016Media 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.

Canterbury DHB chair, Murray Cleverley, is pleased with today’s announcement by the Minister of Health, Dr Jonathan Coleman, which acknowledges the increased demand for mental health services Canterbury DHB has experienced since the series of earthquakes that have rocked the region since 2010.

“It’s fantastic to see the increased demand recognised, as our staff and those providing care in the community are certainly feeling it, and our data is still showing high numbers of new people being admitted into the acute inpatient service,” Mr Cleverley says.

He says the additional funding will allow the DHB to continue to provide the services people in our community need.

“It is recognition to those at the sharp end of providing care that their work is highly valued. This is the work that is being carried out every day in the community, through primary care and non-government organisations, in schools, in the police watch-house, in prisons and across the specialist mental health service.

“The fact this funding is spread over a three year period, means that we can take a longer term view. We will continue to adjust our services to meet the changing demand patterns over time. ​

“At the moment we are seeing really high demand for Child and Youth services. This funding means we can continue to invest and strengthen these services,” Mr Cleverley says.

ENDS​

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Page last updated: 19 October 2022

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