HOSPITAL VISITING

All hospital visitors are recommended to wear a medical face mask. For more information about visiting: Visitors and family. See our COVID-19 page for general COVID-19 advice, detailed hospital visiting guidelines and COVID-19 tests.

See West Coast COVID-19 vaccination clinics for info on vaccinations link COVID-19 Vaccination • West Coast • Healthpoint

Last updated:
16 September 2022

Fewer visitor restrictions now apply

For visitors to all facilities (effective from and last updated on 16 September 2022)

Some visitor restrictions for all Te Whatu Ora Te Tai o Poutini West Coast 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 in single rooms may have more than one visitor while patients in multi-bed rooms can have one visitor only per patient to ensure there is no overcrowding.
  • People can have one or two support people to accompany them to outpatients appointments.
  • Women in labour in a birthing suite, in Te Nīkau Hospital’s Maternity Ward and in Buller’s Kawatiri Maternity Unit can have the usual support people, subject to space, for the duration of their stay in our facilities.
  • Eating or drinking at the bedside is at the discretion of the Clinical Nurse Manager. 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.

Mask wearing

  • Surgical/medical masks must be worn at all sites, except in counselling, mental health and addiction services where it’s on a case-by-case agreement with patients. Masks will be provided if you don’t have one. In higher-risk environments, people, including young children, may not be able to visit if they cannot wear a mask.
  • Any member of the public with a mask exemption is welcome in all our facilities when attending to receive health care and *treatment. Please show your mask exemption card and appointment letter to staff at the entrance. *Treatment includes coming into the Emergency Department, outpatient appointments, surgery or a procedure.

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, WhatsApp etc where visits aren’t possible.

You must NOT visit our facilities if you

  • are COVID-19 positive
  • are unwell. Please stay home if you have a tummy bug or cold or flu/COVID-19-like symptoms (even if you’ve tested negative for COVID-19).

Te Whatu Ora West Coast Aged Residential Care facilities

Visitors are welcome at our Aged Care Residential facilities, subject to the space available. All visitors must wear a surgical mask.

More COVID-19 information

Māori Health

37 health services.

B4 School Checks – Te Whatu Ora West Coast

Every child should have the B4 School Check before they turn 5. This is the final Well Child Tamariki Ora check. It is an opportunity for you to talk to a nurse about your child’s health and ask any questions you might have.

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Cancer Support

The first point of contact if you have cancer or a high suspicion of cancer and we can help you and your whānau/family manage complex testing and treatment. Acting as a link between you, GP, hospital, and specialists, we will make sure you get all the information you need throughout your care.

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Central Booking Unit (CBU)

The Central Booking Unit manages bookings for outpatient clinics, operations and surgeries, appointments, and inpatient bookings at all West Coast DHB health facilities.

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Cervical screening services

All women who have ever had sex should have cervical smear tests every three years from age 25 to age 70. Find out where and how.

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Children’s Health

We provide Paediatric dental surgery, acute medical & surgical care & Outpatient services for children of 0 to 15 years

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Children’s ward

Children up to 15 years old who are patients at Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre stay in the children’s ward.

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Critical Care Unit (CCU)

The Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre Critical Care Unit (CCU) provides General and Cardiac Intensive care in a 4-bedded set-up.   This excludes conditions where more complex input is required.  In these cases, patients may be transferred to Christchurch Hospital.

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Day surgery

Day surgery is the service where patients have their operation or procedure and are discharged to go home on the same day. Patients should report to Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre’s main reception. Staff will then direct you to the location where you will be taken care of.

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Dementia unit (Kahurangi)

Kahurangi Dementia Unit is at Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre in Greymouth. It cares for up to 20 full-time residents. This facility provides modern, home-like facilities for people assessed as Hospital Level dementia (D6) care needing short-term or long-term care.

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Dietetics

Dietitians are registered health professionals who can help you understand the current evidence for nutrition therapy. They can work with you to put your dietary requirements into everyday practice. Our Dietitians can help with medical nutrition therapy, diabetes management, disease related nutrition, unintentional weight loss from cancer or other illness, malnutrition, prescribing nutritional supplements, tube feeding and intravenous nutrition support, pregnancy nutrition support.

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Emergency Department (ED)

The Emergency Department (also known as ED or A&E) provide care to patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses that require urgent attention. For most other injuries and illnesses, call your GP or family doctor first. They will refer you to ED if needed.

Call 111 and ask for “ambulance” when there is a medical emergency​.

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Gender affirming healthcare

For questions relating to pathways and services offered for our transgender consumers primary health care is the first step.

Discuss your health care with your General Practitioner, Nurse or through the WCDHB sexual health clinic who are more than happy to discuss the process and the pathway needed to be followed”

This section provides some links to useful websites that provide information on the process for consumers wanting to transition.

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General ward

General ward cares for acute and elective patients in orthopaedics, urology, plastics, gynaecology, paediatrics, dental surgery and general surgery.

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Laboratory

Information about our laboratory staff and on how to take tests such as blood or allergy tests.

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Māori health – health services

We provide many Māori Health services and facilities such as Tamariki Ora B4 School Checks, mental health care, Whānau House accommodation and more.

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Maternity services

Te Whatu Ora West Coast, based in the Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre maternity ward, provides Primary and Secondary maternity care services and support. Find out information about the maternity services available across the West Coast. 

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Maternity unit

Based on the ground floor of Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre, the Maternity Unit is situated at the north end of the hospital, a short walk from the Peaberry cafe.  The Maternity Unit is a new modern well equipped unit with two birthing rooms; each having its own birthing pool and six antenatal / postnatal bedrooms available for our women.  Each bedroom has its own en suite and television.  There is a shared public kitchen area available for women and their whanau to use during their stay. 

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Meals on Wheels

The Meals on Wheels service helps people all around New Zealand who are living at home by providing them with a healthy meal every day. New Zealand Red Cross volunteers deliver around 620,000 hot meals a year – that’s nearly 12,000 every week.

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Medical Technicians

A small team of medical technicians who provide a range of services listed below to West Coast GPs, visiting specialist consultants, inpatients and the emergency department.

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Mental Health

We provide services and resources to help anyone with a mental health condition.

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Mental health inpatient unit (Manaakitanga)

Some mental health patients experiencing a crisis will have to stay at the hospital while they recover. These people stay in the Manaakitanga unit.

The Manaakitanga unit is alongside Community Mental Health. Visitors can ask for directions at main reception or Community Mental Health reception.

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Music therapy

Our Registered Music Therapist uses musical activities to address non-musical, health related goals. 

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Occupational therapy

An Occupational Therapist’s goal is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. This means helping people to safely look after themselves, live independently and have productive lives. 

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Older Persons’ Health

Previously known as Carelink and the Complex Clinical Care Network (CCCN).

This service helps older people and people with disabilities get the care they need, usually in their own homes.

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Oral health services / Dental services

This section introduces you to everything related to Oral Health up and down the West Coast.

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Orthotics

The Orthotic service provide and fabricate complex and custom-made devices to improve function and/or prevent and correct deformity in those affected by congenital, developmental, or acquired conditions of the nervous or musculoskeletal systems. The Orthotic service also review, repair and maintain orthotic devices as well as provide education to patients for correct fitting and use of orthosis.

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Outpatient department

The Outpatient department treats patients who don’t need to stay over night. Your GP (family doctor or nurse) will usually arrange your outpatient appointment. For outpatient appointment enquiries, please call reception and ask for the Central Booking Unit.

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Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy helps to restore movement and function resulting from injury, disability or illness. A physiotherapist can assess your movement and function, and develop a treatment plan together with you, your whānau/family and caregivers to restore or develop your potential

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Radiology

Radiology, also often referred to as X-ray department, provides general x-ray, ultrasound scans, CT scans, bone density scans and some specialist procedures.

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Sexual health

The sexual health service provides sexual health assessment, diagnosis and treatment.  We also supply referrals for gender concerns and pregnancy / abortion services.

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Social work

Our Social Workers are here to support you and your family/whānau in our hospitals and in the community.

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Speech language therapy

The Speech language therapy service supports patients and families to understand and manage communication and/or swallowing difficulties.

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Stop smoking (smoking cessation)

You can be smokefree! This is the most important thing you can do for your health; You can gain control and get rid of your smoking addiction; You owe it to yourself and your family!  The West Coast DHB provides a specialist smoking cessation service.

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Supporting Parents Healthy Children

Supporting Parents Healthy Children (SPHC) is a Ministry of Health guideline for all Mental Health and Addiction services within New Zealand. The purpose of SPHC is to support parents, children and families/whanau where a parent experiences mental health or addiction challenges.

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Surgical services (Perioperative Services)

Based in the Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre general ward, we provide sterilising services, diagnostic procedures, emergency surgical procedures, anaesthetic services and day surgery.

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Whānau House (Whakaruruhau)

We offer accommodation for the whānau (family) of patients. Eligibility is on a first come, first served basis and is at the discretion of Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre management. We give priority to whānau of patients who are terminally ill or in the critical care unit. Whānau can stay for up to three nights, and this may be extended if needed. 

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Women’s Health

The West Coast District Health Board (WCDHB), based in the Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre maternity ward, provides Primary and Secondary Women’s Health services and support. Find information about these services available across the West Coast. 

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Page last updated: 12 July 2022

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