Visiting hospital services in Canterbury (including attending outpatient appointments)

For visitors to all facilities effective from Friday 16 September 2022

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 people must continue to wear a mask when visiting any of our facilities and follow other advice designed to keep patients, staff and other visitors safe.

Kia whakahaumaru te whānau, me ngā iwi katoa – this is 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 must 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 surgical 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 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 are able to 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, WhatApp 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 must wear a medical mask.

Parents/caregivers are able to be with their child in hospital and visitors other than a parent or caregiver 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.

See the message at the top of the page, which is one way you can stay in touch during these exceptional circumstances.