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

West Coasters benefit from support provided by Greymouth-based Kaiatawhai team

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  3. West Coasters benefit from support provided by Greymouth-based Kaiatawhai team

Thursday 5 December 2024Health news2 minutes to read

West Coast residents needing additional support to access health care services at Te Nīkau Hospital & Health Centre can now connect in with our Kaiatawhai team.

Equity Lead – Kaiatawhai Team Rachael Forsyth says, “our Kaiatawhai team provide a patient and whānau (family) focused support service at Greymouth’s Te Nīkau Hospital & Health Centre. We tautoko (support) and awhi (care for, nurture) whānau using a Te Ao Māori approach focused on emotional and cultural support as well as equitable access to health care to improve health outcomes.”

“It’s essential that we put whānau first by ensuring everyone using our services has the opportunity to establish tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). We do this by providing manaaki (support and care) and helping whānau navigate our health system. This includes helping patients connect with their primary care team and linking them to community services as needed.”

Our Kaiatawhai team provide two Whānau Ora support services. Our Whānau Ora – Korowai Whānau service, focuses on connecting with patients in the hospital’s general ward by letting them know what we do and offering them support during their stay. While our Whānau Ora – Long Term Conditions Management service engages with Māori and Pacific people who are overdue for a long-term conditions annual review. We support whānau by arranging appointments, meeting them beforehand and attending if asked. We also provide on-going support to ensure whānau attend any outpatient specialist appointments.

“It’s important to us that we connect with our most vulnerable whānau on Te Tai o Poutini to ensure they don’t slip through the cracks especially if they have limited faith in the health system. We aim to bridge that gap by building a trusting relationship with whānau and being there to awhi them along on their wellbeing journey,” says Ms Forsyth.

Whānau wanting to connect with our Kaiatawhai team can phone us on 0800 268 464 or send an email to kaiatawhai@wcdhb.health.nz, Monday to Friday during normal working hours.

Photo: (left to right) Te Nīkau Hospital & Health Centre’s Kaiatawhai team Keri Hampton, Kim Sims, Rachael Forsyth, Malia Cardwell-Snowdon and Sherrie Marshall.

ENDS

Media contact: hnzmedia@tewhatuora.govt.nz

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Page last updated: 5 December 2024

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