Visiting hours and tips for visitors

Nau mai haere mai, we welcome you to Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti, and Gisborne Hospital. Our aim is to provide excellent care and support to patients and their whānau during their stay or visit.

While visiting, you must wear a medical grade mask. Face masks are a way we can protect ourselves and others.  These are available on arrival. If you cannot wear a face mask you can get a Mask Exemption Pass.

We hope your stay or visit is pleasant.

Kia pai tō rā - have a good day.

 

Visiting Gisborne Hospital:

While visiting please:

Do not visit the hospital if you feel unwell or if you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 7 days.

If you have cold or flu symptoms, do not come into the Hospital. If you need to visit the Emergency Department or have an appointment - please ring 06 869 0500 or 0800 800 620 for advice.

If you have an infection, cold or flu-like illnesses or have or have been exposed to contagious illnesses, e.g. chickenpox or measles within the past three weeks, please do not come to the hospital.

Be considerate. Rest periods are essential to getting better. Please respect the privacy and rest of the other patients by limiting visitors and coordinating visits with whānau and friends.

Practice good hand hygiene. For the safety of our patients, we require visitors and key support people to clean their hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer when entering and leaving the ward and patient’s room. 

Share visitor areas. In common areas, e.g. shared rooms, waiting areas and visitor lounges, please be mindful of other visitors’ and families’ need for space. Waiting areas and visitor lounges are not designed for overnight stays. 

Get permission before taking photographs, videos or audio recordings. These can only be taken with the permission of the patient, staff member and other people in the room. Ask first.

Help staff with requests. Staff may ask you to respond to a specific request in line with our Visiting Patients guideline. Please cooperate with these requests as these ensure that we deliver the best care to patients. Staff may ask you to leave the bedside for a short period to protect the privacy rights of other patients or to maintain safety and security.

Note that violence and threatening or aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated. Depending on the behaviour, people who break this rule will be warned or asked to leave. We will also call security staff or police.

Do not offer food or beverage to a patient without asking medical staff first. 

Do not consumer alcohol, drugs and cigarettes at the hospital. These are not allowed.

 

Visiting Hours

The visiting times are displayed at the entrance of most wards. The usual visiting times are between 2pm and 8pm.

We welcome up to two well visitors at a time, except for in Maternity Neo Natal Unit, Planet Sunshine and in the Emergency Department (ED) as detailed below.

Maternity and the Neo Natal Unit also have restricted visiting hours. See below for more details. 

 

Maternity:

Two support people are welcome for the duration of labour and birth. One of the support persons can then stay for the duration of the postnatal admission too.

After the birth once on the postnatal ward, well adults and siblings of the new baby can visit between the hours of 2-5pm. 

 

Neonatal unit:

Parents are welcome to visit at any time. One other adult may visit between the hours of 2pm-5pm.

In order to protect the vulnerable infant, other children are not permitted in the neonatal unit, this includes siblings.

 

Paediatrics (Planet Sunshine):

The main caregiver is welcome at any time. One person may visit between 2pm-8pm. This could be one person or a couple of people at different times.

 

Emergency Department (ED):

Two people are welcome to support a patient in the Emergency Department.

Additional visitors on compassionate grounds are subject to permission from the ED consultant or shift co-ordinator.

Admission to the ED for critical incident events is subject to approval by the ED manager [or delegated authority] or ED consultant.

 

ICU:

Two well people are welcome to visit a patient in ICU between the hours of 2pm-8pm.

Visits for critical unwell people needs to be discussed with the Clinical Nurse Manager.

 

Visiting after hours:

If you need to visit a patient outside of visiting hours please ask a senior clinician/manager. They can assess your request and may support you to visit on compassionate grounds.  

 

Access / Entrances:

Public access to the Hospital is through the Main Entrance, Emergency Department/Outpatients entrance.

Tui Te Ora and Maternity have direct entry.

Other services may have direct access with patients and visitors.

Emergency Department is open 24/7.

The Main entrance is open between the hours of 6.30am and 8.30pm Monday - Friday and 7am - 8.30pm Saturday/Sunday.

 

Urgent Care 

If you need to attend Gisborne Hospital for Emergency Care or an urgent appointment, please enter through the Emergency Department entrance which is open 24/7. You will be asked some health questions at the Emergency Department. 

Please be patient, use hand sanitiser on your way in and out and wear a medical grade face mask. If you do not have a face mask, one will be provided.   

 

Health Services 

Outpatients services are occurring and patients are being seen in order of clinical priority.  Some appointments may be via phone. 

If you haven’t heard from us expect that your appointment or surgery is still progressing as planned. However, if you think your condition has changed please talk to your GP.

 

Surgery

Surgery is occurring. Major surgery will be by clinical priority.  Major orthopaedic surgery has commenced although there may be delays.  Please contact your GP if your condition has changed.

 

Fracture Clinic

The daily fracture clinic continues to run between 9am -12pm, Monday - Thursday and Fridays from 9.30am - 12pm. 

 

GP Appointments

General Practices are open, please call your GP to make an appointment before arriving at the practice.

Childhood immunisations are also a priority and essential to keep up to date with. It is still safe to bring babies in for these as organised by your local practice. For those aged 15-30 years old, check you are protected for measles. If you are in doubt, or did not get two doses of the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine as a child, you can this now, free from your GP Practice. 

If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms including a runny nose, cough or loss of smell and taste, please take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT). These can be done at home with boxes available from all clinics up the Coast, and from any of the collection sites. Click here for more information about getting tested, days and hours the Collection Sites are operating.

Even if you only have very mild symptoms, it is vital to be tested early – as soon as you get symptoms and not to expose others.

 

Radiology

Radiology is continuing to provide General x-rays, ultrasounds MRI’s and CT’s. We are operational as business as usual.

Ultrasounds, MRI Scans and CT scans continue to be offered for priority patients

 

Mental health and addiction services

24/7 mental health crisis service can be contacted on 0800 243 500.

Mental health and addiction support is available through Te Waharoa by phoning 06 868 3550 from 8.30am to 4pm Monday to Friday. 

The Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti adult community mental health and addiction service - Phone: 0800 999 014; Infant Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service – Phone: 06 869 0541; and mental health services for older people operate from the hospital site.

 

Other community health services:

Pharmacy

Community pharmacies remain open but medicine management services will be provided over the phone where possible. Medicines may continue to be delivered to some people. Please do not visit if you are sick. 

Midwives

Community Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) midwives continue to provide care in person.

Community Lactation Consultant Service

Operates as normal with face to face clinic appointments. 

Oral Health

Community oral health services continue to provide face to face appointments for routine and urgent/emergency dental care. Masks must be worn and we encourage only one support person attend the appointment with their tamariki.

Allied Health

Appointments for allied health services are back to normal and are conducted face to face.

Well Child

Well Child Tamariki Ora services continue to liaise with families and will provide face-to-face care as needed.

Aged Related Residential Care (ARRC)

Aged care providers are open to visitors. Surveillance testing may be required so please check with the facility before going as this may change if positive cases are detected in the facility.

Home help

Essential personal care services, such as toileting, washing and feeding, and home help services will be provided as usual.

 

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