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

Move to new Haast Health Centre set for tomorrow

Monday 14 December 2020Health news2 minutes to read

We are pleased to confirm that on Tuesday, 15 December 2020 from 8.30am onwards, you will find us in our new Haast Health Centre which is co-located with St John in the existing St John premises in Haast Township,” West Coast DHB’s Manager of Integrated Services – Southern David Smith says.

“As construction work to fit out the new Haast Health Centre was completed earlier than anticipated, we have made the decision to move into our new clinic before the Christmas/New Year period.”

The facility has a similar number of rooms as the old clinic in Hannahs Clearing, however the rooms are larger in size. It includes an accessible toilet, waiting room, consult room, treatment room and multiuse storage/utility room with staff amenities being shared with St John staff. There is direct access from the clinic into St John, to facilitate patient transfer.

“The move to our new premises is really exciting as it provides a number of improved clinical safety benefits such as better internet services, increased reliability for mobile phone coverage and increased coordination with St John in the event of a local level emergency. We are looking forward to welcoming the Haast community to our new premises,” says Mr Smith.

“The new location not only results in the largest population in the wider Haast area having easier access to a safer and more sustainable health clinic, it also provides an opportunity for the DHB to improve the resiliency of health care service for the Haast community.”

Patients are asked to avoid the clinic during the changeover period, however staff will be available to respond to acute/emergency needs at the new clinic from 8.30am on Tuesday, 15 December. Normal services are expected to resume from early Wednesday afternoon.

During this time, you can phone us as usual on 03 750 0800 for health advice or to make an appointment. In the event of an emergency, please dial 111.

 

Ngā mihi nui/Kind regards,
nā Imogen
Imogen Squires | Senior Communications Advisor | West Coast District Health Board
PO Box 387, High Street, Greymouth 7840
DDI 03 769 7457 | 03 769 7400 ext 2457 | M 027 836 1528

Tags

Related topics

Back to Health News

Page last updated: 14 December 2020

Is this page useful?