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

Paying for your care

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  2. Patients & visitors
  3. Paying for your care

New Zealand has a world-leading health system which makes most services available free (or subsidised) to people who meet requirements.

Some people in New Zealand don’t qualify to have these services paid for by the New Zealand Government and will have to pay for their own healthcare.

The Ministry of Health website provides useful information and advice on eligibility:

Documents required to prove you are entitled to free healthcare:

  • Passport, including permits and visas
  • Birth certificate (if born in New Zealand or Australia); or
  • Confirmation of citizenship; or
  • Confirmation of permanent residency or other residency status
  • Photo identification (if no passport)

If you are not entitled to free health services, please refer to the hospital treatment fees document below.

Please note: Fees are indicative only and subject to change, and not all treatment fees are listed. A patient must be eligible at the time they receive health services for those services to be paid for by the government. If a person becomes eligible after accessing health services, that eligibility cannot be backdated. Fees are reviewed annually.

Current prices for hospital treatment

If you have any queries about treatment costs, please contact a member of the Finance Team at accounts.receivable@wcdhb.health.nz

Inpatients

If you are admitted to hospital, the Finance team will confirm your eligibility and discuss the cost of treatment and payment with you. Staff will give you an invoice before you leave.

We do not invoice insurance companies. We expect you to pay us and claim it back from your insurance company.

Outpatients

You must pay for outpatient services in advance. You can make payments at the main reception office on the ground floor of Te Nīkau Hospital and Health Centre. There you will be given a receipt, which you need to present at your appointment.

Direct credit payment

Bank: BNZ, Greymouth, 91 Mackay Street, Greymouth 7805
Account name: HNZ – West Coast
Account number: 02-0844-0027000-000
SWIFT code: BKNZNZ22 (to be used if making payments from overseas)

Please use your invoice number and customer number / NHI number as a reference.

Credit card payment

If you wish to pay by MasterCard or Visa, please contact the Finance Team accounts.receivable@wcdhb.health.nz to arrange payment.

Everyone in New Zealand is covered by ACC’s no-fault scheme if they’re injured in an accident. This includes children, beneficiaries and students. It doesn’t matter if they’re working, unemployed or retired. It also includes visitors to New Zealand.

The cover ACC provides helps pay for the costs of your recovery. This includes payment towards treatment, help at home and work, and help with your income. Visit the ACC website for more information or help making a claim.

If ACC does not accept your claim, you may still be eligible for funded public healthcare. Talk to your GP about this.

Page last updated: 6 June 2024

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