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

Canterbury wellbeing indicators show continued improvement

Tuesday 20 September 2016Media release4 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.

While life for many in Canterbury is improving, the impacts of the quakes are still being felt as the region's recovery heads into its seventh year.

These are the findings from the latest Canterbury Wellbeing Survey and Canterbury Wellbeing Index. The Survey and Index were established by CERA to help track the progress of the social recovery of Canterbury post-quake. This is the first time they have been released since the Canterbury DHB inherited the monitoring of psychosocial recovery on 1st March 2016.

Canterbury DHB chief executive David Meates, says the Canterbury Wellbeing Survey shows continued improvements in wellbeing across many of the measures.

Eighty-two percent, or four out of five greater Christchurch residents, say their quality of life is good or extremely good, up from 77 percent last year. Another measure of wellbeing, the WHO-5 Wellbeing Index, has also improved significantly since September 2015. “Overall, fewer respondents reported being negatively impacted by the stressors caused by the earthquakes,” he says.

Mr Meates says the positive impact of seeing signs of progress towards a more livable city, and being able to access new and repaired recreational, cultural and leisure time facilities, are at their highest levels since they were first measured. “New spaces like the Margaret Mahy Playground are proving incredibly popular, and providing a real wellbeing boost. Making progress towards a more livable city is having a positive impact for many,” he says.

Although the majority of indicators suggest an improvement in wellbeing, a number of Cantabrians are still struggling with earthquake-related stressors. “The proportion of people experiencing anxiety about ongoing aftershocks was at its highest level since September 2012, doubling from nine percent last year to 18 per cent this year,” he says. “This increase is likely to be explained by the fact that the survey took place in April, just two months after the Valentine's Day quake.”

Mr Meates says the Canterbury Wellbeing Index shows that there's increasing demand on Canterbury's mental health services. There has been a 21% increase in the number of 18-64 year old clients accessing mental health services from the 12 months prior to the February earthquake to the most recent 12 months of data (April 2015 – March 2016).

Mr Meates says six years on, some Cantabrians still face significant hurdles to their recovery. “For many, time does heal, but international research tells us that the emotional effects of a disaster can last for up to ten years. The focus of the recovery is now on identifying those at risk of being left behind and ensuring they get the support they need,” says Mr Meates.

Those who are finding it hard and need support can ring the Canterbury Support Line on 0800 777 846.

Other findings from the Canterbury Wellbeing Index include:
While unemployment in Canterbury continues to be low at around 3.1 percent, economic growth is beginning to slow down following the initial impetus of the rebuild. Canterbury GDP growth was amongst the lowest across New Zealand in 2015, easing back to 1.9 percent growth from 5.8 percent growth in the year to December 2014.

After a period of rapid growth, rent levels for new tenancies in greater Christchurch have decreased since early 2015, and are once again below Wellington and national levels.

Forty-three percent of the 630 people surveyed who own the dwelling they usually live in, and who have had their insurance claim resolved, were concerned about the quality of repairs or believe re-repairs are required.

The Canterbury Wellbeing Survey is a representative sample of greater Christchurch residents undertaken every six months. In 2016 there were 3,100 respondents. Read the full findings from the Canterbury Wellbeing Survey.

The Canterbury Wellbeing Index is a set of measures or indicators from over twenty local and national agencies across a diverse range of fields including health, education, housing, and employment. Find out more about the Canterbury Wellbeing Index.

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Page last updated: 19 October 2022

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