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

Te Whatu Ora Waitaha | Canterbury Pānui Monday 3 October 2022

Monday 3 October 2022Waitaha Canterbury Pānui2 minutes to read

In this edition of Te Whatu Ora Waitaha | Canterbury Pānui

As we endure some changeable spring weather this week, our Emergency Department and urgent care centres are still experiencing high demand. Respiratory illnesses continue to affect the community and our staff, so it is positive that there is a national focus on recruiting people to our health workforce.

Also, in this edition, springtime means more people getting their hands dirty in the garden and, with that, a heightened risk of contracting Legionnaire's disease. We share some essential precautions every gardener should take to protect themselves. Some of our staff marked World Car-Free Day last week by going ‘car-lite' and finding alternative modes of transportation for their commute to work.

There's a story about 25 Māori Waitaha (Canterbury) and Te Tai o Poutini (West Coast) staff who have started a seven-month leadership programme, and the Te Reo lesson this week focuses on poroporoaki, or farewells.

This week's quiz tests your knowledge of 90s music and we meet some more Te Whatu Ora pets.

We welcome your feedback on the new Te Whatu Ora Waitaha | Canterbury Pānui. Please get in touch via email: communications@cdhb.health.nz

You can read the Te Whatu Ora Waitaha | Canterbury Pānui in two different formats:

View on issuu.com Download PDF (8MB)

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Page last updated: 5 October 2022

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