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

Cases of Delta COVID-19 in Canterbury a timely reminder to get tested if you are unwell

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Thursday 28 October 2021Health news3 minutes to read

With the overnight news that two cases of Delta COVID-19 have been identified in Canterbury, the most important thing for the public to do right now is to follow the COVID-19 protocols which includes getting tested immediately if you develop any COVID-19 symptoms.

If you have recently returned to the Coast after visiting Christchurch in the past 14 days and you’re not sure what you should do, please call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice.

West Coast DHB has set up COVID-19 testing clinics in Hokitika, Greymouth and Westport.

COVID-19 Testing Centre

Location

Times (28/10/2021)

Hokitika Health Centre

Hokitika

59 Sewell Street

* clinic is set up in health centre carpark

11:00am – 2:00pm

Te Nīkau Hospital & Health Centre

Greymouth

71 Waterwalk Road

* clinic is set up in north-west corner of the campus

2:00pm – 4:00pm

Buller Health Centre

Westport

Pakington Street

* clinic is set up in the health centre carpark

10:00am – 1:00pm

Testing is free but before you come in for a test, please call ahead to your general practice team or Healthline to arrange a suitable time. Contact details of West Coast GP practices are available online – https://www.wcdhb.health.nz/your-health/find-and-enrol-at-a-health-center/

Remember, we all play an important role in keeping ourselves, our family/whānau and friends safe. Some simple things that we can all do include:

  • Not going into any public places if you are feeling unwell and minimise close contact even in your home – ring ahead if you need a service.
  • Call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 – high temperature (at least 38°C), new or worsening cough, sneezing and runny nose, temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste, sore throat or shortness of breath. These symptoms do not necessarily mean you have COVID-19. The symptoms are like other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu. Shortness of breath is a sign of possible pneumonia and requires immediate medical attention.
  • Please wear a mask or fabric face covering into all DHB health care facilities.
  • Importantly, you must physically distance – stay at least two metres away from people you don’t know.
  • Wash and dry your hands frequently, or use hand gel.

Please scan in using the QR code, wherever you go using the government’s COVID-19 Tracer App, and ensure Bluetooth is turned on within the app – this means you’ll receive alerts if you’ve been exposed to a case.

If you still need to get vaccinated, you can book online at www.BookMyVaccine.nz or by calling the National Booking team on 0800 28 29 26 (8am – 8pm, 7 days). Vaccinations are available to all eligible people 12yrs and older.

Walk-in appointments are also available at our Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika clinics. Details of our clinics are available on our vaccination website – Home – Vaccinate Canterbury and West Coast (vaccinatecanterburywestcoast.nz)

For anyone who is feeling stressed and anxious or who needs some advice, then there are places you can CALL for more support, listed below:

  • Phone or text 1737 to be put through to a trained counsellor any time of the day or night. This is a free service for everyone.
  • Your General Practice or rural clinic
  • Poutini Waiora (Māori Health and Social Service) – 0800 333 170
  • Crisis Response (24/7) – 0800 757 678
  • Youthline – 0800 376 633
  • Rural Support Trust – 0800 787 254 (0800 RURAL HELP)
  • Programmes provided by your employer e.g. through the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

More information is available on the Ministry of Health website and there is also a direct link from this website to the Unite Against COVID-19 homepage.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 28 October 2021

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