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

New ‘virtual medical receptionist’ service to help South Westland

Friday 26 February 2016Media release2 minutes to read

A new service offering greater access to booking general practice appointments in South Westland will become operational on Monday 21 March when a three month trial begins.

People sometimes struggle to contact services in South Westland to book appointments at a time convenient for them.  South Westland area staff receive thousands of phone calls a year, and sometimes have to deal with multiple callouts at night and on during the weekend, for health matters that are non-urgent.

The West Coast District Health Board has contracted tele-triage services provider Homecare Medical to support local staff and communities. 

“It's important we look after both patients and staff,” DHB General Manager Grey/Westland Mark Newsome says.

“The Homecare Medical virtual medical receptionist phone service will mean greater access for our community to book appointments, and reduce the after-hours burden on our staff,” Mr Newsome says.

“How it will work is that people will continue to ring their local clinic number or 0800 SWHealth (0800 7943 2584), which will now be answered by Homecare Medical receptionists who will be able to book appointments. This service will be offered Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 6pm. 

Homecare Medical registered nurses will continue to provide support outside those hours and, when appropriate, transfer the call through to one of our South Westland nurses.  During the trial we will be assessing the possibility of further extending the time when people can book appointments,” he says.

“Of course people should ring 111 if they have a medical emergency.”

Members of the communities in the following areas are welcome to drop in and meet new DHB staff based in South Westland and Homecare Medical representatives at the following times/locations:

Tuesday 8 March:
Haast Clinic, 12noon
Franz Josef Clinic, 7.00pm

Wednesday 9 March:
Hari Hari Clinic, 10.15am

Mr Newsome says there will be a three month trial to ensure the expected benefits for both staff and communities are achieved. 

“We will also be listening to our staff and our community during this time about their experiences of the new service.”
If people have queries about how the new system will work or want to provide feedback, they can contact (Note: email address removed, as no longer used for this purpose).
Homecare Medical is a New Zealand company with hubs in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.

Ends

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Page last updated: 17 April 2019

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