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 Coast’s health agencies working together to support COVID-19 Care in the Community

Tuesday 21 December 2021Health news4 minutes to read

West Coast DHB’s Director of Allied Health, Scientific and Technical, Jane George, said that an all of health system approach has been taken to ensure that the necessary systems and processes are in place to enable us to provide clinical and welfare support to anyone with COVID-19 on the West Coast.

“We have been very fortunate to have an amazing team of people working across health, wellbeing, iwi and other support services to ensure that anyone who contracts COVID-19 on the Coast will be well supported, whether they are self-isolating in their own home or are being cared for in supported isolation accommodation.

Senior Responsible Officer for COVID-19 at West Coast DHB, Philip Wheble, said most people with COVID-19 are likely to have a mild illness.

“It’s really important that people take the time to learn about what they need to do to prepare themselves. It’s also vital that people isolating at home know who and when to call for help if their health deteriorates,” Philip Wheble says.

We now have a dedicated COVID-19 Care in the Community page on our website. (Update 5 March 2024: This page has now been removed.)

“This site provides useful information on practical things we can all do now to ensure we are all ready for when COVID-19 is in our community, along with guidance for those who are self-isolating and resources for community support providers.

“If you are taking a break over the summer holidays, now is a good time to ensure you have a plan in place that covers off what you’ll do if you or one of your whānau catches COVID-19. It’s important to consider what extra things you may need to pack, what you need to plan for at home should you have to stay away longer than expected and how you and your whānau can isolate if you needed to.

The new section on our website also provides links to information on what it means to be a close, casual, or household close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and there’s also information on what to expect and who can support you after you’ve tested positive,” Mr Wheble said.

“Remember, the best thing we can all do to protect ourselves, our whānau and our communities is to be fully vaccinated, including having a booster dose if it’s six months since you had your second dose of Pfizer vaccine.

Vaccinations will be available at our Greymouth clinic over the three days in between Christmas and New Year. Vaccination clinic details are available online – here.

“When you are out and about remember: Mask, Scan and Pass – wear your mask, scan in everywhere you go, and show your COVID-19 pass when you need to.

“It makes the job of contact tracers so much easier when you have a good record of where you have been.  Once we start getting cases in the community, we’ll all start receiving alerts to say we’ve been at a Location of Interest – it’s important to follow the public health advice provided.

If you develop any COVID-19 symptoms, please arrange to get tested immediately and remain isolated at home or in the accommodation you are staying in. This advice extends to anyone even if they haven’t visited any of the locations of interest. If you’re not sure what you should do, please call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice.

Remember, testing is free but before you come in for a test, please call ahead to your general practice team or Healthline to arrange a suitable time. Contact details of West Coast GP practices are available online – https://www.wcdhb.health.nz/your-health/find-and-enrol-at-a-health-center/

“Under the ORANGE traffic light setting people who are vaccinated can enjoy a lot of freedoms – with masks, so here’s to having a safe and enjoyable summer holiday catching up and socialising with whānau and friends,” Mr Wheble said.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 5 March 2024

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