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

Public health advice, including how to stay safe in the aftermath of flooding

Friday 2 February 2018Media release3 minutes to read

The following advice is issued by Canterbury and West Coast Community and Public Health and applies to areas of the West Coast and Canterbury that have been affected by Cyclone Fehi.

Contaminated flood waters 

  • Three Waters (Buller District Council) advises that they have disinfected any areas where there have been known sewage overflows.
  • Nevertheless, avoid contact with flood waters if you can and assume they will be contaminated by sewage.
    There is also is the danger of trauma from floating objects and hazards hidden below the surface. Until power lines have been fully restored there may be a heightened danger of electrocution.
  • If you do come into contact with flood waters, change out of any wet clothes and shoes and put them aside to be washed later. Wash skin that has come into contact with flood waters, and your hands as soon as you reasonably can – or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.

Further advice on managing safely post-flooding can be found here.

Drinking water

  • Three Waters also advise that they are confident that mains water supplies are safe, with Punakaiki the only exception currently.
    They will advise if that situation changes.
  • A boil water notice remains in place for Punakaiki and there is still the potential for new ones to be put in place. A boil water notice means you need to boil or treat all water from taps / tankers before drinking, brushing teeth or using in food preparation. 
  • Bringing water to a rolling boil is sufficient to kill bugs.
  • Water that is visibly clear can be made safe to drink by adding half a teaspoon of a standard (unscented) bleach such as Clorox or Janola to 2 litres of water.
  • If you don't have mains water and you think it has been affected by surface run-off, don't use it for drinking purposes. If it appears clear but you are still unsure, it can be made safe by boiling or adding bleach as above.

Other relevant health advice follows.

Food

  • If you have lost power at some stage, avoid opening your fridge and freezers unnecessarily. If frozen food has been defrosted but has been kept chilled, it should be used soon – as if it had been bought fresh.
  • Do not refreeze high risk items such as meat, fish and poultry. If you think these high risk items may have been at room temperature for two or more hours, do not eat them – if it doubt, throw it out.
  • Any food stuffs which were not stored in a waterproof container and anything in bottles and jars with crown caps that has been under flood water should be discarded.

More general health and wellbeing

  • Continue to check on neighbours and vulnerable people near where you live as long as the disruption caused by the weather lasts. Check they have supplies including their medications and share with them the advice on food storage and use above.
  • If you need to see a GP and have trouble getting there, phone them for advice. Even if they are closed your call will be answered by a trained registered nurse who can advise you on what to do. 
    In an emergency, always ring 111.
  • If you require essential prescription medications and your supply is running low, call your normal GP number for advice.

Stay ready and informed

ends

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Page last updated: 6 May 2019

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