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

It’s time to go home from hospital. What now?

  1. Home
  2. Your health
  3. Health events in your life
  4. It’s time to go home from hospital. What now?

ACC has information about preparing to return home from hospital, including transport, making sure you have the right equipment, and organising people to help you at home if needed.

Your ACC support coordinator can help with the following things once you get home:

  • Financial assistance to pay for things
  • Finding people to help with your personal needs
  • Making changes to your house to make it easier to live in
  • Preparing to go back to work
  • Getting transport when you need to go out

Waiting for your ACC claim

If you came to hospital with an injury, staff may have filed an ACC claim for you. However Canterbury DHB does not manage ACC claims, and after you go home you should contact ACC for any information about your claim.

If you have serious problems with your injury including severe bleeding, heart issues, or complications with a head injury, call 111 or go to your nearest Emergency Department (ED).

If you are in pain or have other issues to do with your injury, talk to your usual General Practice (GP) team – even if your injury was first treated at ED or a Canterbury DHB facility.

Page last updated: 7 August 2020

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