Appointments

This hospital or health facility visit is arranged by your general practitioner or a specialist.

The Arranged Admitting Office will give you an appointment time, a questionnaire for your anaesthetic (if you are having surgery), and an admission form. Please complete these forms before your appointment.

You can be admitted for:

• Day surgery: You will have your operation or procedure, and go home on the same day. If you need extra hospital time we will admit you to an overnight ward.
• Day of Surgery Admission (DOSA): You will have your operation on the same day you come to hospital, but may stay for a day or more after the operation.
• General admission: You will come to hospital a day or so before your operation, and stay as long as needed to recover from your operation.

Bookings

The Central Booking Unit (CBU) organises your visits for specialist consultations and operations. After your doctor refers you to a hospital specialist, a CBU booking clerk will send you a letter when an appointment time is available.

To confirm an appointment, or if you have any questions, call the CBU confirmation line on (03) 769 7555.

You will have a consultation with a specialist, who will discuss some of the following options with you:

• Seeing you again as an outpatient
• Referring you to Laboratory for tests, Radiology, Physiotherapy
• Referring you to another specialist
• Referring you back to your GP
• No further appointment needed
• Surgery

Elective surgery guide

Cancellations/Postponements

If you need to cancel or postpone your surgery or appointment because you are unwell, please call the phone number on your appointment letter as soon as possible and let the department know.

Due to emergencies we sometimes need to postpone bookings at short notice. It may be necessary to postpone your surgery even after you have been admitted to hospital. We will book your surgery into the next available time slot.

You can help your own recovery by learning about your condition on our HealthInfo West Coast website.

Please do not bring any valuables into the hospital unless absolutely necessary (including valuable items of clothing). If necessary, we can store valuables and money in a locked cupboard or deposit them in the hospital safe. Any personal belongings you bring into the hospital are at your own risk, and Canterbury DHB does not accept any responsibility for safeguarding any personal items that you bring into hospital.

Everybody coming to hospital

• Comfortable day clothes
• Shoes/trainers
• Glasses, hearing aids and dentures. Bring the cases for your glasses and hearing aid so you can put them away safely
• Book/eBook reader/tablet/mobile phone, charger. Please be considerate of others and keep all electronic devices on silent/vibrate and use headphones if listening. Most hospital areas have free Wi-Fi
• If you have equipment to support your mobility such as a walking aid, please name this and bring it with you

• Smoking and vaping is not allowed. Find out how we can help you be smokefree while in hospital
• Please do not bring valuable items such as jewellery or large sums of money

Medicines

• Bring your medicines (including medicines bought at the supermarket and pharmacy, and natural medicine) when you come to hospital, especially if you have to come unexpectedly
• Bring your medication list (yellow card) if you have one
• The medications will not be used while you stay in hospital, except as a temporary measure until we can obtain a supply. We will then store your own medications in a dedicated area on the ward
• If you have any questions, please talk to your nurse, doctor, or the ward pharmacist

Patients staying overnight (inpatients)

• We recommend you name any personal items you need to bring into hospital for your stay
• Night-dress or pyjamas for sleeping. You can also bring your own pillow and pillow case (blue pillow cases are provided for the head)
• Toiletry items, such as toothbrush, toothpaste etc
• Spare clothes
• Please make arrangements for a friend or relative to do your personal laundry if you will be staying a long time
• If you wear dentures, please bring your cleaning container
• Cancel services such as Meals on Wheels, home help and newspaper delivery for the time you are in hospital
• Ask a trusted neighbour or friend to collect your mail

• You can bring a support person with you
• Let your family and friends know where you are
• Ask someone to check your house and look after your pets
• Bring important documents such as power of attorney or end of life directives so everyone
• knows what your wishes are if you cannot communicate
• Organise someone to bring a change of clothing and do your laundry if needed
• Organise someone to take you home when you are ready

When you should go to the Emergency Department

The Emergency Department is for serious emergencies only, not for long-standing or minor injuries or illnesses which can be treated by your family general practice team [link to info page]. You can phone your local clinic at any time and talk to a registered nurse for advice.

Free public Wi-Fi

Free public Wi-Fi internet access is available in West Coast DHB hospitals and facilities.

​Instructions to use the free Wi-Fi service

1. When you turn on your Wi-Fi on your mobile device or laptop computer, 
   select DHB Public Wi-Fi from the list of options. 
2. You will be able to browse the internet or access your emails.​ 

For more information read our Wi-Fi FAQs below

​​Wi-fi Frequently Asked Questions

How easy is it to use and how reliable is the service?

Full instructions to access free Wi-Fi​ will be provided via a number of different ways including this website. The service will be reliable as it is delivered over high-speed fibre infrastructure. However, priority will be given to clinical data.

Who is paying for the service?

​​​West Coast DHB provides the infrastructure and 2degrees provides the internet feed.

What restrictions are there?

• ​​ Sites and content deemed inappropriate will be blocked when using the service
• It is not possible to download movies and other large files
• Content accessed by people within West Coast DHB facilities on their own network is subject to West Coast DHB policy.

Mail and newspapers at Grey Base Hospital

Patient mail is delivered to the wards daily. You can buy stamps at the cafeteria. There is a post box in the foyer at the main entrance.

Newspapers are available in an honesty box in the foyer.

Television, radio and electronics

There are TVs in most lounge areas. If you use a TV or radio in your ward room, please check if it is OK with other patients first, or use earphones.

For safety reasons, an electrician must check all privately owned electronic appliances (such as TVs, radios, hairdryers) before use in the hospital. Local electrical shops can check appliances and provide a certificate.