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

Demolition activities needed to make way for the new Buller Health Centre well underway

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  3. Demolition activities needed to make way for the new Buller Health Centre well underway

Tuesday 1 December 2020Health news2 minutes to read

Please attribute to Andrew Brant, Acting Chief Executive, West Coast District Health Board

The planned demolition that’s needed to make way for the new Buller Health Centre is well underway with construction of the new Buller Health Centre expected to start early in 2021.

The removal of asbestos containing material (ACM) and demolition work commenced at the end of July 2020 with an anticipated completion date of February 2021. This work has involved the removal of all internal furniture and fittings, floor coverings and internal linings; disconnection and removal of all services including electrical, central heating, fire alarms, sprinklers; set up of decontamination units for asbestos removal and the removal of various types of asbestos containing materials throughout the buildings. This month will see the removal of roofing material along with some demolition work.

Site clearance and earthworks are also underway, to ensure that the site is ready for the main contractor to start work. The request for proposal (RFP) was released to the shortlisted contractors for the main contract work on Thursday, 12 November 2020 with a closing date of Wednesday, 16 December 2020.

The 12-bed 2,360m2 facility has been designed to support an integrated model of care and will house a range of services including general practice, inpatients, primary birthing and postnatal care, palliative care, urgent care and dental services. The DHB’s community services, Hauora Māori service and mental health service will also be located within the Buller Health Centre.

Clinical services will be supported by radiology and laboratory support services on the same site. The co-location of services will facilitate a collaborative approach to providing health care services, with a focus on improving the patient experience.

The current floor plans are available on our website – Buller Health floorplan and you can also view the 3D video of the new Buller Health facility online – 3D video.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 1 December 2020

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