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

Talking health – but are we speaking your language?

Monday 9 May 2016Media 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.

The Canterbury Health System is keen to hear community views on how it can improve communication and create better awareness of what is happening across health services.

David Meates, Canterbury DHB Chief Executive, says each year the health system reports on the quality of health services provided, through data and by sharing real stories about other people's experiences.

We call that report ‘A Snapshot of How we're Doing'. The publication is our ‘Quality Accounts', which all New Zealand District Health Boards are required to produce.

“The Quality Accounts bring to life what the Canterbury Health System is doing to deliver on our commitment to high quality health care. It also highlights how and what we are doing to continuously improve services in a national context of quality and safety.

“But we need to know whether we are including the right information, that it is useful and understandable, whether it helps to inform, and that it is what people want to read?

“So we need your help in telling us what works for you to ensure we present the right information in the right formats, so that it is easy for everyone to access.”

The Canterbury Health System is working toward publishing its next Snapshot later this year.

“To help us make sure we get it right, we'd love you to complete a short and simple online survey. It has just five short questions and shouldn't take more than a few minutes.”

Anyone unable to access this survey online, can request a printed version with a freepost envelope, by phoning 03 337 8713 and stating the name and postal address of the person you'd like us to send it to.

“Your feedback is very important to us and will help us ensure the Quality Accounts provide relevant and useful information for you on the health services being delivered in Canterbury.

“Thank you in anticipation of your help,” Mr Meates says.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 19 October 2022

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