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

Buller Health services are now located in our new facility – Te Rau Kawakawa

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  3. Buller Health services are now located in our new facility – Te Rau Kawakawa

Monday 8 May 2023Health news3 minutes to read

Over the weekend, all Buller Health services were successfully moved across to our new facility – Te Rau Kawakawa.

The move, which started on Friday, took four days to complete, with the new facility becoming operational at 8am today. Urgent and acute care is available today and planned GP appointments will be available from tomorrow (9 May) morning at Te Rau Kawakawa.

“We want to acknowledge the amazing efforts of everyone who helped get this facility ready, as moving a health care facility takes a lot of careful planning and preparation,” says Te Whatu Ora West Coast’s General Manager Philip Wheble.

“Moving into our new state-of-the-art facility is a culmination of years of work by teams of people, from users to architects, right through to construction contractors, our own project teams, as well as our Buller Health team. We now have a beautiful facility that is designed to support an integrated model of care delivering a range of health care services to our community.

The new $21 million facility is home to a range of services, including general practice, acute care services, primary birthing and postnatal care, palliative care, urgent care and child dental services. Our community services like District Nursing and Home & Community Support Services, Hauora Māori service, mental health service, as well as drug and alcohol services are also located within Te Rau Kawakawa. Radiology and laboratory (blood services) are available on-site to support clinical services.

“A big thank you to the Buller community for your ongoing patience and understanding while our staff and services moved. We are really pleased that we can now welcome you to our new facility. While our staff unpack and settle into their new workplace, we do ask for your continued support and patience,” says Mr Wheble.

Remember, if it’s an emergency dial 111.

  • For appointments, enquiries, prescriptions or results please phone Buller Medical Centre on 03 788 9277 during week day opening hours (Monday – Friday; 8:45am – 5:00pm).
  • If you are feeling unwell with any condition, you can phone Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free health advice 24/7 or you can call our General Practice after-hours triage service on 03 788 9277 rather than visiting in person.

ENDS

 Notes to editors

 Address

Buller Health – Te Rau Kawakawa, 46b Cobden Street, Westport.

Phone numbers

  • (03) 788 9030 general enquiries
  • (03) 788 9277 medical centre

Entry and parking

The campus entrance is still off Cobden Street, Westport with access to all services via the building’s main entrance. Patient parks including mobility parks are available close to the main entrance.

Hours

Service

Days

Times

Buller Medical Centre

Monday – Friday

Saturday – Sunday

Statutory Holidays

8:45am – 5:00pm

10:00am – 12.00pm

10:00am – 12.00pm

Buller Health’s Acute Care Services are available 24/7. Remember, if it’s an emergency dial 111.

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Page last updated: 8 May 2023

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