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

Keep ED for emergencies this long weekend

Friday 23 April 2021Media release2 minutes to read

Keep ED for emergencies this long weekend

“Keep the Emergency Department for emergencies only” is the message from clinicians as we head into the ANZAC Day long weekend.

Cantabrians should expect longer wait times if they attend the ED at Waipapa today and over the long weekend, due to higher demand always expected on weekend days and some unplanned staff sick leave.

Acting ED Clinical Director Dr Sarah Carr says it would be incredibly helpful if people make use of Christchurch’s three urgent care centres if they don’t have serious emergency needs.

“This will enable staff to focus on only those who really need emergency care and continue to provide quality care over the long weekend,” says Dr Carr.

The three extended-hours Urgent Care practices in Canterbury are:
• 24 Hour Surgery – 401 Madras Street open every day, 24/7. Ph 03 365 7777
• Moorhouse Medical – 3 Pilgrim Place. Open 8am – 8pm, 7 days a week. Ph 03 365 7900
• Riccarton Clinic – 4 Yaldhurst Road. Open 8am – 8pm, 7 days a week. Ph 03 343 3661

Learn more about what an Urgent Care clinic can do by checking out this video.

A reminder that for care around the clock, people in Canterbury can also call their own General Practice team for free heath advice from a nurse after hours.

Christchurch Hospital’s ED is the sole emergency medical facility in the city and one of the busiest in Australasia.

Trusted health advice

You can also visit our HealthInfo website or your community pharmacy for health advice.

HealthInfo is a health information website that has information specific to Canterbury. It is written and approved by local doctors, practice nurses, hospital clinicians, and other healthcare professionals and features a mix of health information, fact sheets on different topics and descriptions of local health services.

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Page last updated: 23 April 2021

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