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

Popular Christchurch eatery joins the Fresh Air Project

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Thursday 13 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.
Anton Matthews and the smokefree sign

Anton Matthews and the smokefree sign

Fush eatery in Wigram is the latest venue to go smokefree as part of the Fresh Air Project, a collaboration between the Cancer Society and the Canterbury District Health Board, along with support from the Christchurch City Council.

The Fresh Air Project supports the goal of Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 to reduce smoking levels across New Zealand. A recent survey from the Cancer Society shows that 95 per cent of consumers support smokefree outdoor dining.

Co-owner of Fush, Anton Matthews, is well known around town for his passion for conserving the Māori language. He offers customers a menu in both te reo and English, and also runs te reo classes.

Now he’s got his sights on protecting the health of Māori by joining the Fresh Air Project.

“Fush is embracing auahi kore (smokefree) dining to protect our staff and customers from the dangers of secondhand smoke, and to set a good example for tamariki and the broader community,” says Anton.

Anton is hoping to encourage his customers to embrace the social aspect of sharing and enjoying kai. He also wants to offer support for customers who are wanting to go smokefree.

“Going auahi kore (smokefree) is about looking after future generations. I want my customers to know there’s nothing positive about smoking – no social benefits, it hurts you in the pocket, and it’s bad for your health,” says Anton.

“We’re thrilled to have Fush come on board as a Fresh Air venue and to be part of the conversation with the Māori community in Christchurch about what it means to go smokefree,” says Cancer Society spokesperson, Amanda Dodd.

According to the Health Promotion Agency, Māori have higher smoking rates and higher rates of death and tobacco-related illness than non-Māori.

  • The smoking rate for Māori adults is 35%.
  • Māori men – 32%, Māori women – 38%.
  • Māori are 2.6 times more likely to be smokers than non-Māori.
  • Māori smokers are the youngest to start smoking, at just over 14-years-old on average.

“We know going smokefree is hard to achieve without the right support,” says Canterbury DHB spokesperson Lee Tuki. “Do it as a whānau and with support from Te Hā – Waitaha Stop Smoking Canterbury.”

For support, visit www.stopsmokingcanterbury.org.nz or phone Te Hā – Waitaha Stop Smoking Canterbury on 0800 425 700.

Fush is one of 60 hospitality venues across Canterbury making their outdoor dining areas cleaner, greener and more pleasant environments. To find a Fresh Air venue near you, visit www.freshairproject.org.nz.

The Fush whānau share their reasons for going auahi kore in video here: https://vimeo.com/295082687

ENDS

For further information contact:

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

Lee Tuki, Team Leader, Community and Public Health, Canterbury DHB 021 056 4997

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Page last updated: 19 October 2022

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