HOSPITAL VISITING

Hospital visiting guidelines updated 16 September 2022: Hospital visitors must wear a surgical/medical paper mask. Fabric face coverings are not acceptable.  See our COVID-19 page for general COVID-19 advice, detailed hospital visiting guidelines and COVID-19 tests.

See www.vaccinatecanterburywestcoast.nz for info on vaccinations.

Last updated:
16 September 2022

Fewer visitor restrictions now apply

For visitors to all facilities effective from 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 moving back Monday/Tuesday

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Sunday 13 February 2022Health news5 minutes to read

Please attribute to Philip Wheble, Incident Controller – West Coast DHB

The Buller Health services which had been moved because of flooding concerns to the Masonic Lodge, 51 Russell Street, Westport will be fully operational in the usual Cobden St Buller Health buildings by 8am on Tuesday 15 February.

People with urgent or acute health issues, or needing maternity support, are still able to go to the Masonic Lodge 24/7 until 1pm on Monday.  From early afternoon tomorrow, people should go to Buller Health in Cobden St for urgent or acute health services and maternity.  St John will be supporting the transition and available at the Masonic Lodge until the relocation has been completed. 

A Buller Medical clinic will be open at the Masonic Lodge today from 10am – 2pm, and will resume early Monday afternoon from the Cobden St premises.

The DHB appreciates everyone’s patience while services are transitioned back.

If it’s an emergency, call 111 as per usual.

If you require health care, please contact your general practice team by calling the usual practice number – Find a GP, medical practice, clinic or health centre | West Coast DHB (wcdhb.health.nz)

If you are registered with Coast Medical, please contact the team on 03 789 5000 to arrange an appointment, and after-hours call the usual practice number for free health advice. After hours you’ll be put through to a nurse who can tell you what to do and where to go if you need to be seen. 

General health advice

  • Remember, if you need health advice, please call Healthline on 0800 611 116 – calls are answered 24/7. If you need to be seen, they will tell you what to do and where to go
  • For wellbeing support you can talk to a counsellor free of charge, call or text 1737 any time of the day or night.
  • For pregnancy support and advice over the phone, please call your LMC/midwife.
  • If you have questions about your young child or baby’s health phone Plunketline on 0800 933 922 to speak to a Plunket nurse.
  • You can also visit our Healthinfo website for trusted health advice on a range of issues.
  • If you require essential prescription medications and your supply is running low, call your usual GP number for advice – Find a GP, medical practice, clinic or health centre | West Coast DHB (wcdhb.health.nz)
  • Buller Pharmacy in Westport, at 168 Palmerston Street is open at 8.30am on Monday for over the counter medications and health advice.
  • Talk confidentially about a meth or P-related issue or problem – 0800 METH HELP 0800 6384 4357.
  • The Alcohol Drug Helpline offers support to anyone concerned about their own or someone else’s drug or alcohol use 0800 787 797.
  • Government-funded free to the public, 24×7 national telehealth services – Telehealth services (whakarongorau.nz)

Public health advice

A reminder from our public health team – please treat all flood water as contaminated.

Sewage may be mixed with flood waters and can cause serious illness.

That means you need to wash your hands thoroughly or use hand gel after coming into contact with flood water.

Wherever you are, please remember the usual public health precautions such as good cough and sneeze etiquette, hand hygiene and physical distancing (wherever possible stay one metre away from people you don’t know).

It’s also important to continue wearing a mask especially indoors and scan in everywhere you go. Keeping a good record of where you have been makes the job of contact tracers so much easier.

If you develop any COVID-19 symptoms, please arrange to get tested immediately and if safe to do so remain isolated at home or in the accommodation you are staying in. This advice extends to anyone even if they haven’t visited any of the locations of interest. If you’re not sure what you should do, please call the COVID-19 line on 0800 358 5453 for advice.

COVID-19 vaccination clinics

The Westport COVID-19 vaccination clinic will remain closed while our team respond to the current state of emergency. We will provide an update on when it will reopen once details have been confirmed.

You can book online for clinics at www.BookMyVaccine.nz or call 0800 28 29 26 (8am – 8pm, 7 days per week).

Clinic details are available on our vaccination website – Home – Vaccinate Canterbury and West Coast (vaccinatecanterburywestcoast.nz)

Meals on wheels

Meals on Wheels continues to be provided by our Buller-based WellFood team along with our valued Red Cross volunteers who deliver the meals to recipients in the community.

Stay up-to-date

For the latest updates, ‘like’ your local District Council’s Facebook page, or check the latest news on their website:

Weather conditions

To get the most up to date information on severe weather around the country, or any other forecasts, see metservice.com or download the MetService mobile app.

Road conditions

If you need to travel for any reason, please ensure that you check the road conditions prior to departing.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 13 February 2022

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