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

First nationwide health plan to deliver healthy futures for New Zealanders – Te Rautaki Hauora ā-motu tuatahi hei whakaū i te ora mo te katoa o Aotearoa

Friday 28 October 2022Health news5 minutes to read

Media statement by Hon Andrew Little and Hon Peeni Henare | Pānui pāpāho na te Honore Andrew Little me te Honore Peeni Henare

First nationwide health plan to deliver healthy futures for New Zealanders

Health Minister Andrew Little welcomes Te Pae Tata | the Interim New Zealand Health Plan jointly developed by Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand and Te Aka Whai Ora – Māori Health Authority.

“We have consolidated the public health system and now we have a plan to achieve national service coverage and nationally consistent operating policies,” Health Minister Andrew Little said.

“This plan puts into action the Government’s record investment in health from Budget 2022. This Government has increased health spending by more than 40-percent, to $24-billion, since coming to office 2017.

“The plan has been put together by clinicians and health experts and sets out the range of tasks that will be taken over two years to strengthen hospitals, primary care, and tackle the longstanding challenges including workforce shortages,” Andrew Little said.

“Te Pae Tata will lay the foundation for a properly co-ordinated system to better support patients whether they are at the GP, in hospital, or in some other form of care.”

As well as prioritising workforce and workplace issues, Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora have made specific commitments to improve outcomes in:

  • Maternity and early years
  • People with cancer
  • People living with chronic health conditions
  • People living with mental distress

“The plan will be financially sustainable and any efficiencies will be ploughed back into more services for patients,” Andrew Little said.

“Having a joint plan for Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora, working as equal partners, is a game changer for Māori and whānau,” Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare said.

“It will grow kaupapa Māori services and give Māori a strong voice in a new system focused on improving the disproportionate health outcomes that have long affected our whānau.

“I am proud that Māori voices and hauora expertise will be reflected at every level of our new health system, improving outcomes for Māori and non-Māori across Aotearoa.”

Te Rautaki Hauora ā-motu tuatahi hei whakaū i te ora mo te katoa o Aotearoa

E whakanui ana a Andrew Little te Minita mo ngā take Hauora i Te Pae Tata, te rautaki hauora taupua i waihanga ngātahitia e Te Whatu Ora me Te Aka Whai Ora.

“Kua whakakotahi e mātou te pūnaha hauora, ā, kua whai rautaki ano hoki mātou kia horapa whānui ki te motu ngā ratonga kia ōrite ano hoki ngā whakahaere kaupapa here”, hei tā te Minita take Hauora tā Andrew Little.

“Ko tā tēnei rautaki he whakatinana i te nui o tā te Kāwanatanga whakangao pūtea ki roto i ngā kaupapa hauora i waitohua ai i te Tāhua Pūtea 2022. Mai i te tau 2017 kua rahi kē atu te whakangao pūtea ā tēnei Kāwanatanga ki ngā kaupapa hauora, kua piki ake mā te 40-paehenti tūhene atu ki te $24-piriona.”

“Nā ngā tohunga hauora me ngā mātanga hauora tēnei rautaki i waihanga, ko tā tēnei rautaki he whakariterite i ngā mahi i roto i ngā tau e rua e tū māi nei hei whakapakari ake i ngā ratonga hohipera, ngā ratonga mātanga mē ngā raruraru kaimahi kua roa e noho nei i roto i tēnei rāngai,” hei tā Andrew Little.

“Mā Te Pae Tata e whakatakoto i te tūāpapa e tika ai te mahi tahi a te pūnaha ki te tautoko i ngā tūroro, he ahakoa rā haere ai ki te Tākuta, ki te hohipera, ki tētahi atu ratonga hauora rānei.”

Apā noa atu ki te whakaarotau i ngā raruraru kaimahi, wāhi mahi hoki, e ōati ana a Te Whatu Ora me Te Aka Whai Ora ki te hiki i te taumata o te hauora i roto i:

  • te hunga kei te kōpū, kei te hapū rānei tae noātu ki taitamarikitanga.
  • te hunga e pāngia ana e te mate pukupuku
  • te hunga e pāngia ana e ngā mate kukumeroa
  • te hunga e pāngia ana e ngā taumahatanga o te hinengaro.

“Toitū nei ngā whakahaere pūtea o tēnei rautaki, āpiti atu ki tēnei, ko ngā painga katoa ka kōwhitia mai ki roto ki ngā ratonga tautoko i ngā tūroro,” hei tā Andrew Little.

Hei tā te Minita Takirua mo ngā kaupapa Hauora tā Peeni Henare “mā te whai a Te Whatu Ora mē Te Aka Whaiora i te rautaki kotahi, i runga i te mana ōrite, ka tino kitea ngā hua ka puta ki te Māori, ki ngā whanau ano hoki.

“Ka tipu ngā ratonga kaupapa Māori, ka pakari kē atu te reo a te Māori i roto i tēnei pūnaha hou, ko te aronga nui o tēnei pūnaha hou he whakatika i ngā hē o te pūnaha hauora kua roa e pēhi nei i ngā whanau.

“Ka nui taku koa, ka rāngona ngā reo a te Māori, ka kitea ano hoki ngā pukenga hauora a te Māori ki ia taumata o tā tātou pūnaha hauora hou, e hiki nei i te toi-oranga mo te katoa o Aotearoa, ahakoa Māori mai, aha ake rānei.”

ENDS

 

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Page last updated: 28 October 2022

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