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 can also read the additional COVID-19 related visiting guidelines .

Nine additional RAT collection sites for Canterbury

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Wednesday 16 March 2022Media release2 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.

Nine additional RAT collection sites for Canterbury

Today nine additional RAT collection sites will open at pharmacies across Canterbury.

These pharmacies will be only be fulfilling orders so please remember to place your order for RATs before heading to a collection site – and have your order number ready when you arrive.

Please wear a mask when attending the pharmacy and advise staff if you are symptomatic.

Orders can be made via the online system at https://requestrats.covid19.health.nz/ by free calling 0800 222 478 to request your RAT tests.

RATs are free for:

  • people with COVID-19 symptoms or who are a household contact or who have been instructed to get tested by a health official.
  • Critical workers who are household contacts
  • Border workers who are required to be tested under the Required Testing Order

“It’s great to see these pharmacies coming on board and expanding the ranges of locations RAT tests are available to our communities,” says Tracey Maisey, ECC Incident Controller, Canterbury DHB.

“This will also help ease pressure on our community testing centres. Please, only request RATs if you have symptoms, you are a household contact or have been directed to take a test by a health official. There’s no need to get a RAT just in case.

“Additional pharmacies are gearing up to become RAT collections sites in the coming days.

“It’s really important that you log the result of your RAT test so that you get the support that you may need if you have tested positive.

“You can do this online through My Covid Record or over the phone by free calling 0800 222 478 and choose option 3. You can also report a RAT result for someone else using these methods. To make a report on behalf of someone else you will need their NHI number, full name and date of birth.”

RAT Collection Sites:

Up-to-date information on opening hours is available on https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/covid-19/canterbury/?covidTesting=rats.

Please be patient and kind if you need to wait if it is busy. Staff are doing their very best to provide RATs to everyone who needs them as quickly as possible.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 4 April 2024

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