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

Service changes

47 news items.

CE Update

CE Update – 29 July 2020

Wednesday 29 July 2020Quick Read

West Coast DHB's own newsletter. In this July edition of the CE Update, Chief Executive David Meates gives a special... read more about CE Update – 29 July 2020»

Tags

CE Update

CE Update – 27 March 2020

Friday 27 March 2020Quick Read

Articles in this update include: In this edition of the CE Update, Chief Executive David Meates provides an update on... read more about CE Update – 27 March 2020»

Tags

CE Update

CE Update – 3 July 2019

Wednesday 3 July 2019Quick Read

Articles in this update include: In this July issue: Wellbeing Budget (David Meates) West Coast Health Facilities... read more about CE Update – 3 July 2019»

Tags

CE Update

CE Update – 9 April 2019

Tuesday 9 April 2019

Articles in this update include: A word from Chief Executive David Meates (incl. West Coast Health System audit, West... read more about CE Update – 9 April 2019»

Tags

CE Update

CE Update – 12 November 2018

Monday 12 November 2018Quick Read

Articles in this update include: West Coast DHB tests emergency readiness South Island Rural Workforce Workshop Read... read more about CE Update – 12 November 2018»

Tags

CE Update

CE Update – 9 August 2018

Thursday 9 August 2018Quick Read

Articles in this update include: There's still time to protect yourself against the flu (David Meates, CE) Building a... read more about CE Update – 9 August 2018»

Tags

CE Update

CE Update – 6 June 2018

Wednesday 6 June 2018Quick Read

Articles in this update include: June is Men's Health Month (David Meates, CE) Coast representative joins RGPN board... read more about CE Update – 6 June 2018»

Tags

Media release

West Coast physio shortages result in changes

Tuesday 26 September 2017Quick Read

A national shortage of DHB-based physiotherapists means the West Coast DHB has had to implement temporary changes to... read more about West Coast physio shortages result in changes»

Media release

Community dementia service shifts to CCCN

Wednesday 23 August 2017Quick Read

Community Dementia Services will soon be managed through the Complex Clinical Care Network (CCCN), to better meet the... read more about Community dementia service shifts to CCCN»

Media release

Rural Academic GP to merge with Grey Medical Centre

Monday 12 June 2017Quick Read

In anticipation of the new Grey Integrated Family Health Centre opening next year, two of Greymouth's general practices... read more about Rural Academic GP to merge with Grey Medical Centre»

Media release

Patient wifi available at Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre

Thursday 18 May 2017Quick Read

Free public wifi internet access is now available at Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre (Note that the name... read more about Patient wifi available at Te Nīkau, Grey Hospital & Health Centre»

Showing 1-40 of 47 results, page 1 of 2.

Page last updated: 22 June 2023

Is this page useful?