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

Visiting Canterbury DHB facilities still limited, due to COVID-19 cases and Locations of Interest in the region

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Monday 1 November 2021Media release4 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 DHB's visitor policy has again been updated as we navigate our way through COVID-19 alert level three

The DHB's visitor policy remains unchanged from last week

Visitor access to all Canterbury DHB health facilities will remain restricted until at least 11:59pm Thursday 4 November, to enable safe physical distancing and to reduce the chance of a visitor with COVID-19 spreading it to vulnerable patients and staff.

Limiting our interactions with others, together with getting vaccinated are two of our best defences against COVID-19. For this reason, a limited visitor policy applies across all Canterbury DHB facilities.

Children under 16 and people who are unwell cannot visit under any circumstances, except to access emergency care.

A person may only enter our facilities:

  • to accompany someone when initially attending the Emergency Department
  • to visit a person receiving end of life care
  • to provide support to a person with a disability
  • to enable one parent/caregiver to be with a child who is in hospital
  • CHOC – (Child Haematology Oncology Centre), one parent to accompany/stay with each patient
  • as a parent visiting the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
  • ICU – one nominated person may visit once per day during visiting hours and be the only visitor for the duration of the patient’s stay
  •  Maternity:
    • one support person only to accompany someone presenting for acute assessment
    • women in labour in a maternity facility are allowed two support people for the duration of the labour and birth
    • women can have one named support person for the duration of their postnatal stay
    • LMCs may visit women postnatally in our maternity units.
  • Specialist Mental Health Services – one support person to accompany someone presenting for acute assessment or urgent care

All of the above remain at the discretion of the Charge Nurse/Midwife Manager for the ward or service. Visitors will not be allowed in wards caring for patients in isolation. Additional exceptions may be made on compassionate grounds.

Where these visits do take place, all visitors are required to wear a mask or face-covering at all times, unless they have a condition that makes them exempt and can show their exemption card (see below).

Please scan in using the QR code, wherever you go in a DHB facility using the government’s COVID-19 Tracer App, and ensure Bluetooth is turned on within the app – this means you’ll receive alerts if you’ve been exposed to a case. Alternatively you can sign in at reception.

Elective surgeries and outpatient appointments

Unless you have been contacted by phone to advise that your planned (elective) surgery or outpatient appointment is postponed, please assume it is going ahead and turn up to your appointment.

Exemption card for face coverings 

We know that some people who have a disability or health condition may not be able to wear a face covering safely or comfortably. If you cannot wear one, you can get an exemption card. You can show your exemption card when needed, for example to a bus driver. 

You can request a card from the Disabled Persons Assembly NZ by contacting them on 04 801 9100 or at info@dpa.org.nz.

DHB Aged Residential Care facilities

The limited visitors rule applies. However, family visits for palliative care residents who are receiving end of life care and do not have COVID-19 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Park and Ride

The hospital shuttle service will continue to operate Monday-Friday 6:15am-8.30pm daily, to and from the Christchurch Hospital main entrance and Waipapa, and to and from the Outpatients Building until 6pm. There is will be no shuttle service running at weekends while we have community cases.

The following applies:

  • all people using the shuttle will be required to wear a mask or face-covering unless medically exempt
  • a limit of five passengers per shuttle will be observed to allow greater physical distancing
  • hand sanitiser will be available to use as you enter and leave the shuttle
  • an enhanced cleaning schedule is in place during shuttle operational hours
  • please don’t use the shuttle if you are sick. You should not be visiting any of our facilities if you are unwell.

Cafés

Christchurch Campus:

  • Great Escape Café – open for staff onlywith coffee and pre-packaged food available, usual opening hours
  • Willow Lane – open for coffee and pre-packaged food, Monday to Friday 8am-2pm
  • Kanuka – open for coffee and pre-packaged food, Monday to Friday 8am-2pm
  • PeaBerry, Parkside and Christchurch Women’s Café will be closed.

Ashburton Hospital Café – open for coffee and pre-packaged food, Monday to Friday 8am-4pm.

Hillmorton Avon Café – open for coffee and pre-packaged food, Monday to Friday 11am-1pm.

Burwood Travis Courtyard Café – open to staff only for coffee and pre-packaged food, Monday to Sunday 8:30am-3:30pm.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 27 February 2024

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