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

Melbourne travellers asked to get tested and self-isolate

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Friday 28 May 2021Health news2 minutes to read

Due to the community outbreak of COVID-19 in Victoria, anyone who has travelled to and spent time in the Greater Melbourne area between May 20-25 must get a COVID-19 test and self-isolate at home or in the accommodation they are staying in until they return a negative result.

Current locations of interests are available on Victoria Health’s website and there is also a direct link to this website from both the Ministry of Health homepage and the Unite Against COVID-19 homepage.

West Coast Medical Officer of Health, Dr Cheryl Brunton, says testing is free but before you come in for a test, please call ahead to your general practice team 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/

“If you have recently arrived back from or are visiting the Coast from Melbourne and you’re not sure what you should do, please call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice.

In addition, 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,” says Dr Brunton.

This is a good reminder that everyone still needs to play their part in keeping up all of the good habits which have helped keep the West Coast community free of COVID-19 for many months now. These include:

  • Staying home if you’re sick
  • Wear a mask if you need to go anywhere
  • Washing and drying your hands often
  • Using hand sanitiser frequently

Remember to scan, scan, scan using the QR code outside many businesses, including many DHB facilities, or keep a diary of where you go and when. This information is useful if we were to have a case and needed to advise the public.

Further information can be found on the DHB website at: https://www.wcdhb.health.nz/your-health/covid-19-formerly-known-as-novel-coronavirus/

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Page last updated: 28 May 2021

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