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

Don’t let measles ruin your holiday

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  3. Don’t let measles ruin your holiday

Friday 20 December 2019Health news2 minutes to read

Hand holding up a petri dish where culture looks like an airplaneWith the Christmas and New Year holidays fast approaching, you may have an overseas trip planned and be counting down to the day you jet off to an exotic location.

However, with measles currently spreading in popular holiday destinations there is cause for extra vigilance when travelling overseas this summer.

West Coast Medical Officer of Health Dr Cheryl Brunton says we are currently measles-free on the Coast and we’d like to keep it that way. People should avoid bringing unwanted illness back home from their holidays.

“If you’re travelling to Samoa, Tonga, the Philippines or Fiji and you’re aged under 50, check that your vaccinations are up to date to prevent becoming unwell while on holiday, and risking bringing measles back to the Coast.

“Measles vaccinations are free for those aged under 50 who are travelling to an area where there is a measles outbreak. Current outbreak regions can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website,” says Dr Brunton.

Over the Christmas and New Year break many friends and relatives will visit our region, so it is important to make sure your whānau and those visiting are immunised too.

Dr Brunton says vaccination is the best protection against measles. 

“This is especially important for children who haven’t had their MMR vaccinations – scheduled at 15 months and four years. These children, and those travelling to an area where this is an outbreak are currently top priority for vaccination,” says Dr Brunton.

As the measles vaccination takes up to two weeks to provide protection, don’t leave it until the last minute. Call your general practice team and check whether you and your family are all up to date with your vaccinations before you travel this summer.

Anyone with measles symptoms or who believes they may have been exposed, can contact their usual general practice 24/7 for additional advice, no matter where they are. If people call their GP team after hours they can be put through to a nurse who can provide free health advice and advise what to do.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 28 May 2021

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