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

Proposal to change leadership & management structure of Ashburton & Rural Health Services

Wednesday 15 April 2015Media 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.

A proposal to change the existing leadership and management structure of Ashburton and Rural Health Services has been released to affected staff this week.

Michael Frampton, General Manager – People and Capability for the Canterbury DHB, says the DHB’s investment in new facilities, models of care and workforce development and the need for locally focused and integrated health services in each rural area is creating an environment of change.

“This proposal is to change the existing leadership structure for Ashburton and Rural Health Services in order that Ashburton leadership can focus on Ashburton, and other rural areas are supported to continue the progress underway towards health services that are as relevant and responsive to their areas and communities as possible,” Michael says.

“The proposed changes support a continued focus on rural health services right across Canterbury.”

Key principles include:

The leadership separation of Ashburton and other Rural Health Services to enable dedicated focus on the integration of health services for the Ashburton district and the facilities development work occurring in Ashburton

The establishment of dedicated leadership to lead engagement with local communities across rural Canterbury [other than Ashburton] to identify and fully realise health services and associated facilities which will meet their specific needs

Enhanced clinical and operational connectedness between Ashburton hospital services and the Christchurch City Hospitals
A consultation period on the proposed changes will be in place from 15 April until 13 May and the outcomes of the process are expected to be announced shortly thereafter. ​

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Page last updated: 19 October 2022

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