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

Good deed leads to new ED

Wednesday 18 November 2020Media release2 minutes to read

Matthew being treated by acute care nurse Henry Richardson

Christchurch Hospital’s Emergency Department relocated to its new location in the Waipapa building today and started receiving patients from 7:30am.

One of first patients to be seen in the new Emergency Department was Matthew who was doing a good deed for a friend this morning, cutting up some old tree branches for kindling, when the chainsaw slipped.

A trip to the GP had him referred to the Emergency Department.

“It was quicker than it normally is but that may be because it’s the first day,” said Matthew, who has had his share of visits to the ED as a keen sportsman and mechanic.

“It’s very good and all the staff have been very helpful and kind. It’s clean, bright, and efficient. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a modern hospital.”

After being assessed in ED, Matthew was sent to Acute Observation before nipping around the corner for an X-Ray in the new Emergency Radiology area.

A temporary cast was being applied when we spoke to him, and he was getting ready to head off to a ward awaiting surgery under local anaesthetic to repair a tendon in his finger.

“They can do what they need to do, as long as I can’t feel it and I can’t see it!” Matthew said.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 18 November 2020

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