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

Sexual health advice still available on Coast

  1. Home
  2. Health news
  3. Sexual health advice still available on Coast

Monday 16 January 2017Media release1 minute to read

The West Coast District Health Boards wants to reassure patients that the Grey and Westport sexual health clinics continue to operate as usual.

A recent article about the pending closure of the Greymouth Family Planning Clinic has caused some confusion, Grey / Westland Interim General Manager Philip Wheble says.

“The DHB's sexual health clinics are a separate free and confidential service available to all New Zealanders. The clinics offer assessment, diagnosis and treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and other sexual health conditions, and also provide pregnancy testing, advice and referrals (including abortion referrals),” Mr Wheble says.

“Smears (if due) are done as part of the STI screen and the only contraception provision available is the emergency contraceptive pill and condoms. The sexual health service can also provide off-site education and screening as required.”

Sexual health clinic details:

GREYMOUTH

The Link Clinic, 1st Floor, Grey Hospital, GREYMOUTH.
Monday: 2.30 – 6 pm drop in clinic (need to be there by 5.30pm) Ph (03) 769 7400 ext 2874 (clinic hours only).

WESTPORT

Outpatients, Buller Hospital
WEDNESDAY 10.30 – 11.30 am appointments, then drop in clinic till 4.30pm (last appointment 4pm). Ph (03) 788 9030 ext 8756 (clinic hours only).

ends

Related topics

Back to Health News

Page last updated: 17 April 2019

Is this page useful?