COVID -19: changes to our services

From Thursday 10 November Te Whatu Ora Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley are permitting a maximum of two adult visitors (over 16 years) at a time across all of our wards, units, and campuses, apart from Cancer Ward 5 North at Wellington Hospital, and they may be accompanied by up to two children (under 16 years). Non-essential visitors are allowed as long as they are wearing a mask and have no respiratory symptoms.

Medical masks must be worn by all visitors at all times while on our campuses and are available at our entrances.

 

General visiting hours for Wellington Regional Hospital and Kenepuru Hospital are 10am–1pm and 3pm–8pm daily.

Further information about COVID-19, isolating and preparedness visit https://covid19.govt.nz/

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visiting is restricted at Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley facilities.

You can read the current visiting restrictions below.

We remain committed to enabling access to our facilities for whānau—whilst balancing risk for our patients, staff and our communities.

You can read a details in our full visitor policy here.

General visitor restrictions

These restrictions apply to most hospital services, apart from Cancer Ward 5 North at Wellington Hospital (see below).

• Visitors with no suspicion of COVID-19 will be able to enter. A maximum of two adult visitors (aged over 16 years) at any one time may visit a patient at the hospital or clinic.
• Kaitiaki/Partners are agreed by the clinical area and nominated by Whānau and are able to visit at any time but are not included in the number of visitors.
• For our maternity patients, you can have an additional birth partner who can support you during labour and birth and are not included in the number of visitors.
• Up to two children under 16 years old may visit at a time, but must be accompanied by an adult visitor.
• When more visitors need to be approved this will be at the discretion of the Charge Nurse Manager / Charge Midwife Manager and Senior Medical Officer. Whānau will nominate a key contact person.
• All visitors are to be wearing a medical mask and practice good hand hygiene.
• All visitors to practice safe social distancing and should remain two metres away from others as far as is practicable. Should this not be practical due to multi-bed rooms, the numbers of visitors in each multi-bedroom should be limited at each time to maintain distancing.

Outpatient clinics

• Patients are encouraged to come alone to their appointment if able.
• A maximum of two support people may accompany a patient if required. Kaitiaki / Partners in care are included in these numbers and may support / accompany at any time
• Interpreters are not counted as visitors.

Oncology (Cancer) 5 North Wellington Hospital

• Visiting is only allowed during visiting hours and is limited to one adult at a time.
• No children are permitted to visit patients in this ward.

View our full visiting policy here.

Nominated Kaitiaki/Partners in care, may visit at any time in agreement with clinical staff. Please liaise with the clinical team before visiting.

Kaitiaki are not general visitors, who may come and go to visit family or friends—Kaitiaki/Partners in care are nominated and agreed between the clinical care team and whānau and provide essential care for those who are longer term patients, or patients who require hospital services frequently. They are more involved in the care plan and actively contribute to outcomes.

Kaitiaki/Partners in care must be asymptomatic, not be household contacts and able to wear a mask.

Community-based Assessment Centres have been set up across the Wellington Region.

If you are pregnant and expecting to give birth soon, you may be worried about what giving birth will be like under COVID restrictions.

Maternity care is an essential service.  All your maternity care will still be provided. However, to protect you, your baby and your whānau, we’ve made some changes to how we work.

For the safety of you, your baby, your whanāu, and our teams, our routine care has been changed to protect everyone. This includes restricting your visitors and support people. However you can have an additional birth partner who can support you during labour and birth.

Our staff, and hospital teams are all aware of how difficult this is for you. We encourage the use of video calls with your whānau and friends. Speak to our staff if you need some assistance to stay connected while in hospital.

Information for pregnant women and mums who are breastfeeding is available on the Ministry of Health website.

COVID-19 is an illness that can affect your lungs and airways.

In severe cases, it can cause pneumonia and severe infection of the lungs.

Going to your GP if you think you may have COVID-19

• If you need to see a Doctor or other medical professional you MUST phone first.
• Most consultations will happen over the phone (or by video call) to stop any risk of the disease spreading by person to person contact.
• If a face to face meeting is required, your doctor or other medical professional will organise this with you.
• If you cannot get through and are severely unwell, for example having trouble breathing, call 111 for an ambulance.

When should I seek medical advice?

If you are concerned about symptoms you are experiencing, please contact the dedicated COVID-19 Healthline (for free) on 0800 358 5453 or your doctor.

More information about accessing healthcare can be found on www.covid19.govt.nz

There are lots of things that you can do to keep yourself and those around you well.

Look after yourself If you or someone you know needs wellbeing support or advice, call or text 1737 to speak with a trained counsellor. This confidential service is free of charge and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There’s also useful information on the government’s website COVID19.govt.nz
Be kind and stay connected This is a stressful time for many. Remember to be kind.  While we need to maintain physical distance, it is important to stay connected.  Check in on the elderly or vulnerable by phone or video call. Connect them with specialist help (health or welfare for example) if it is needed. Make a difference by dropping off supplies to those who are home sick and ‘virtually’ check in with whānau, friends and neighbours.
Protect yourself and others Wash your hands with soap and water often (for at least 20 seconds). Then dry. Cough or sneeze into your elbow or by covering your mouth and nose with tissues. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as doorknobs. Put used tissues in the bin or a bag immediately. Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean. Put used tissues in the bin or a bag immediately. Stay home if you feel unwell.

 

 

 

More COVID-19 related health information is available on the Ministry of Health website www.health.govt.nz/covid-19

For information about the national response to COVID-19 and support from across government go to www.covid19.govt.nz