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

Early Childhood Education Sunsmartest

Thursday 6 December 2018Media 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.

Charlotte MacDonald and Max Motornyi Kidsfirst Kindergarten Hoon Hay - hats on now sunscreen

Charlotte MacDonald, Max Motorngi and Zephaniah Esera, Kidsfirst Kindergarten Hoon Hay – hats on, now sunscreen

Early childhood educators are creative and conscientious in protecting young children from skin damage from our harsh New Zealand sun. A recent survey by the Cancer Society and Canterbury District Health Board of 26 early childhood education settings showed how teachers help protect tamariki by providing spare hats and sunscreen.

All of the early childhood providers surveyed also have sun protection guidelines which include provisions for shade, requiring tamariki to wear wide-brimmed hats outside, and re-applying sunscreen throughout the day. Together our youngest and their teachers show us all how it should be done – and how soon we seem to forget.

Teacher feedback suggested that not all New Zealanders know that sunscreen is best applied 20 mins before going into the sun, and that ALL tamariki need protection, no matter the colour of their skin.

Amanda Dodd, Deputy Manager Health Promotion for the Canterbury West Coast Cancer Society says early childhood educators are doing a great job, sometimes with limited resources, to protect our smallest tamariki.

“We realise we need to emphasise the ‘Slip Slop Slap and Wrap message’ again for everyone. One thing that we may all overlook is covering up tamariki with clothing that falls below elbows and knees” says Amanda.

Jocelyn Wright, Director at Hagley Community Preschool says, ‘I talk with families new to New Zealand and they are not always aware of how harsh our sun can be. We talk with them about how children are best protected.’

In conversation with educators, the Cancer Society and Canterbury DHB have found the biggest barrier to effective sun protection is how costly sunscreen can be for some

The Cancer Society is reminding New Zealanders that while sunscreen can be viewed as expensive, it is not an item we have in our shopping basket each week so the cost is spread out over weeks if not months.

“Protecting our skin is very important for our future health. There are other tools in the SunSmart toolkit too, such as making sure tamariki are wearing hats and clothing that covers skin (or a rash top if swimming outdoors), and seeking shade particularly when the levels of Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR) levels are 3 and above on the UV Index.

“We need to remember that it is UVR exposure that causes skin damage and not the heat of the sun.”

Together these measures are very necessary if we are to reduce the frightening rates of skin cancer here in New Zealand which, unfortunately, are still the highest in the world.

“Children should not be getting sunburned at any age as it does lasting damage to the skin. We need to learn from our early childhood educators (and our smallest tamariki) and develop good habits for life. Slip, slop, slap, and wrap – simple!” Amanda says.

ENDS

For further information contact:

Amanda Dodd, Deputy Health Promotion Manager, Canterbury Cancer Society: 021 915 605

Kerry Marshall, Communities Team Manager, Community and Public Health, Canterbury DHB: 03 378 6832

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Page last updated: 19 October 2022

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