VISITING HOSPITAL

All hospital visitors are encouraged to wear a medical face mask. Expand this message for information about visiting hospital. 

Last updated:
31 October 2024

Some visitor restrictions for all Health New Zealand | 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 we encourage 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 are advised to not visit our facilities if they are unwell. We advise that you 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 encouraged to be worn at all sites. Masks will be provided if you don’t have one.
  • Please practice hand hygiene with provided alcohol-based hand rub/gel

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 a surgical mask as a minimum – please use surgical masks provided.

All of our Hospitals

Visiting hours for our hospitals have returned to pre COVID-19 hours.

All visitors are encouraged to wear a medical face mask.

Parents/caregivers can be with their child in hospital and visitors are now allowed, except for the Children’s Haematology and Oncology Day stay where visitor restrictions might apply.

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

Warning after Tutu berry poisoning

Friday 2 March 2018Media 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THIS IS AN ARCHIVED PAGE. The advice and information contained in this page may not be current and it should only be used for historical reference purposes.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 51 year-old hunter has survived a severe case of tutu berry poisoning.

The man was hunting in the South Island and consumed a significant amount of tutu berries, unaware they are highly toxic.

Dr Paul Gee, Emergency Medicine Specialist, says the man suffered seizures and required intensive care at Christchurch Hospital, but is now recovering.

Tutu shrubs (Coriaria arborea) are common along bush tracks and river banks throughout New Zealand. Tutu fruit in summer producing purple and black berries of similar size to blueberries. Though they are sweet to the taste they are also, unfortunately, poisonous.

Most parts of the tutu plant contain the poison tutin, and there is no specific antidote.

Dr Gee says every year there are enquiries about potential tutu berry poisonings or actual cases. Livestock deaths have been attributed to eating tutu and there are even documented stories of circus elephant deaths.

Trampers and day walkers are warned not to eat unidentified purple or black New Zealand native berries.

There have been instances in New Zealand where tourists have eaten the berries, leading to unexplained collapses and seizures.

In almost all cases patients recover but deaths have been reported in the past.

Links:

Tutu; Coriara arborea images at the NZ Plant Conservation Network;
http://nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1749

A listing of toxic plants in NZ can be found at;
https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/uploads/public/Publications/plants-in-new-zealand-poisonous-to-children.pdfhttps://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/42013/Poisonous_plants_nz.pdf

First aid advice can be sought from National Poisons Centre 0800 POISON (0800 764 766)

ENDS

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Page last updated: 19 October 2022

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