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

It’s not too late to protect yourself against the flu

Tuesday 17 July 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.

More than a third of Cantabrians have had their flu immunisation already this winter and there's still time for the rest of us to protect ourselves.

Recent data shows that 184,610 flu vaccines have been distributed so far this flu season – more than the totals taken at the end of the season for the previous three years. This is equivalent to 36 percent of the population and puts Canterbury at the top of the country for distributed vaccines.

Canterbury District Health Board Medical Officer of Health Dr Ramon Pink says, “It's encouraging how many people have had their flu shots already but we can still do better.

“We would like to see much higher numbers with our Māori population, particularly our kaumātua over 65 who are funded for free shots and can set a good example for the rest of their whanau.”

Dr Pink says that there is a window of opportunity that people should jump on.

“So far this winter our flu numbers have been flat but from mid to late July we typically start to see the numbers rise. The flu shot can take up to two weeks to start protecting you so people should really get in now and urge their loved ones to do the same.”

This year's vaccines for New Zealand have been developed to offer protection against the strain that circulated in the Northern Hemisphere during their winter, which lead to the worst flu season in nearly a decade. Around 80 percent of people infected with the flu show minimal symptoms so can be spreading it to vulnerable whanāu and members of the community without realising.

Some groups qualify for free flu shots and flu immunisations are  also available for a fee from general practices with some pharmacies also providing free and fee-paying immunisations.

“It's much easier staying well than getting better so I urge people to take every action they can to avoid catching or spreading the flu,” says Dr Pink.

For more information, locations of pharmacies providing flu immunisations, and some fun activities to keep the kids entertained for at least ten minutes, check out our flu-free website flufree.co.nz

ENDS

Note to Editors

Flu shots are free for certain Canterbury residents from your doctor, nurse or qualified vaccinating pharmacist if you're in one of these groups:

  • Anyone aged 65 years or over; or
  • Pregnant women (any stage of pregnancy).

Flu shots are free only from a doctor or nurse if you're in one of these groups:

  • People under 65 years of age (including children) with long-term health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory disease (including asthma that requires regular preventive therapy), kidney disease and most cancers;
  • Children aged four and under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness; and
  • Young people from six months to 17 years old years of age living in the Kaikōura and Hurunui areas (within the Canterbury District Health Board).

For more information on influenza visit flufree.co.nz

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Page last updated: 19 October 2022

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