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

Consumer voices are important

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  3. Consumer voices are important

Tuesday 14 June 2016Media release2 minutes to read

The West Coast DHB Consumer Council is looking for more representatives to provide advice to the West Coast health system.

The Consumer Council was established in 2014 as a way for consumers to have a strong voice in planning, designing and delivering services on the West Coast.

The Consumer Council is invited to participate in, and comment on, many of the West Coast DHB initiatives to enhance a patient's experience.

The council is made up of a range of people, with diverse backgrounds and areas of interest. Their brief includes:

  • Enhancing the collection and use of feedback from a service user's perspective
  • Assisting to improve the organisation's information sharing responsibilities with service users
  • Contributing to the design or re-design of services and/or facilities by the DHB
  • Working in partnership with the DHB to improve the quality of the patient journey
  • Working to remove barriers for consumers whilst enhancing safe service provision

The Consumer Council meets approximately two-monthly in Greymouth, generally for around two hours. Council members are appointed for two years, and need to have a general understanding of West Coast health issues. A young person with an interest in health issues would be particularly welcome, Chair Barbara Holland says.

“Consumer Council members are now routinely asked to participate in working groups. That way we can ensure real feedback for DHB planners and other staff in terms of what is working well, as well as what could do with improvements, from a patient point of view,” she says.

Expressions of interest should be sent to

Consumer Council Admin Support, Julie Bell

Ends

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Page last updated: 17 April 2019

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