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

You’re never too old to get protected

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Thursday 3 June 2021Media release2 minutes to read

Bill with daughters Helen Nicholson (left), Linda Callaghan (right) and Helen's husband Nick

Canterbury DHB continues to progress COVID-19 vaccinations in Aged Residential Care (ARC) facilities across the region, with approximately 1900 first dose vaccinations provided across 34 facilities in the region so far.

It is expected that in total, approximately 5,300 ARC residents will be vaccinated in Canterbury.

One of NZ’s oldest citizens received his first COVID-19 vaccination at age 108 last Friday, as part of the DHB’s ongoing vaccination rollout to ARC facilities.

World War II veteran Bill Mitchell, who was five-years-old when the flu pandemic swept New Zealand in 1918, was one of 90 residents at the Palm Grove Rest Home in Christchurch to get vaccinated.

Given this, Bill was incredibly grateful to have received his first dose vaccination. “Is that all? That was no trouble,” Bill said at the time of his vaccination.

Bill handing his form in after his vaccination

You can view Bill’s vaccination journey here: https://vimeo.com/555999208/a7e23eadbe

Executive lead for the DHB’s COVID-19 response, Ralph La Salle says its pleasing to see our vaccination rollout progressing at pace with a large amount of ARC facilities now reached.

“As we continue to progress our rollout ahead of plan, we are delighted to have provided first dose vaccinations to some of our most vulnerable people,” says Ralph.

The DHB continues to make plans for when we will be rolling out vaccinations to the wider community during the second half of this year, when we’re planning to deliver around 30,000 vaccinations a week.

More information on timing for vaccinations in Canterbury can be found on www.vaccinatecanterburywestcoast.nz. Check out the ‘When will I be vaccinated’ guide.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 30 June 2021

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