Travel/Access - Wellington Regional Hospital

Accessibility at Wellington Regional Hospital

We have lots of ways to help make Wellington Regional Hospital accessible for you. We offer mobility parks, NZSL interpreters, and special equipment.

Mobility parks at Wellington Regional Hospital

This map shows you where the accessible parks are around Wellington Regional Hospital.

Map of accessible parking at Wellington Regional Hospital 

Here’s where you’ll find accessible carparks:

  • Covered parking in the main hospital building’s underground car park, near the orange lifts that lead to the atrium.
  • Uncovered parking at the back of the hospital, outside level 5 of the Grace Neill Block. These are the closest to the Eye Clinic, on level 9 of the Grace Neill Block.
  • Uncovered parking at the back of the hospital, outside the Children’s Hospital and Ward Support Block. 
  • Uncovered parking off Mein Street, outside the Orthopaedic Clinic.

The two accessible parks shown on the map outside the main hospital building are out of use while the new Children’s Hospital is being built.

Accessible parking at Wellington region’s other hospitals

You’ll find accessible parking all the Wellington region’s hospitals:

Map of Kenepuru Hospital’s accessible parking

Map of accessible parking at Hutt Valley Hospital

Accessible parking at Wairarapa Hospital

Ask us to book an NZSL interpreter

We can book you an interpreter.

You should use a qualified NZSL interpreter in any situations where you make important decisions. These situations include health consultations, assessments, treatments and discussions about which medicines you should have.

CCDHB or iSign will pay for the interpreter

CCDHB pays for interpreters for hospital appointments.

iSign pays for interpreters for:

  • GP (family doctor) appointments
  • ultrasound appointments

You can ask for an NZSL interpreter to be at your appointment

You can have an NZSL interpreter if you, your partner, child or whānau member are the patient. We don’t recommend using a family member as an interpreter.

You can ask for a particular interpreter to be at your appointment

If the interpreter you want isn’t available, you can go ahead with the appointment with another interpreter. Otherwise, you can reschedule it for when the interpreter is available.

The department you’re seeing will book the interpreter

Our booking office doesn’t usually book interpreters.

If the department doesn’t know how to book a NZSL interpreter

You can suggest they:

After hours, the NZVIS Video Interpreting Service may be available

iSign is available to staff to book interpreters 24/7. However, interpreters are not always available.

The Video Interpreting Service is available 365 days a year:

Monday to Friday — 8am to 8pm

Saturday — 10am to 5pm

Sunday — 12pm to 5pm.

Visit the NZVIS Video Interpreting Services website to learn more 

Your options if you can’t get an interpreter

Your health professional will work with you to find the best way to communicate with you. Some options include:

  • using the NZ Video Interpreting Service
  • delaying the appointment until you can get an interpreter
  • using note writing, online videos, gestures, lip reading, or a family member or friend to interpret; these options can be risky, so only use them as a last resort

    • Contact the Disability team if you feel hospital staff don’t understand your needs

    Contact the Disability team to discuss the actions they can take. For example, they might suggest that the team in question attends a workshop to learn about deaf culture.

    Transport to your hospital appointment

    Some accessible transport is available between the CCDHB’s hospitals and services in Wellington, Kenepuru, and Kāpiti.

    Read about transport between our hospitals 

    You can use the free shuttle between Wellington and Kenepuru hospitals

    Patients, their caregivers and visitors can use CCDHB’s free shuttle van service to travel between Kenepuru and Wellington hospitals.

    The shuttle between Wellington and Kenepuru

    Shuttle vans are not wheelchair accessible

    If you need an accessible vehicle, please let us know and book at least 24 hours ahead.

    Booking a seat on the shuttle

    You need to book a seat on the shuttle at least one hour before you want to travel. Book your seat by calling the Wellington transport office on (04) 806 2708 or emailing shuttle.booking@ccdhb.org.nz. 

    The transport office is open Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 4.30pm.

    Shuttles run hourly on weekdays

    The shuttle runs hourly on weekdays, with the first shuttle leaving each site at 7am. Shuttles then depart each hour on the hour, with the last departure at 6pm.

    There is no shuttle on weekends or public holidays. There are fewer shuttles in the Christmas and New Year peak holiday period.

    The journey is usually 30 minutes

    Travel time between the hospitals is usually around 30 minutes. The journey can take up to 45 minutes as the shuttle also makes collections and deliveries.

    We suggest tell clinic staff if you’re using the shuttle to get to an appointment. This way, they can schedule your appointment for 15 minutes before the hour, or on the hour.

    Where the shuttles leave from

    The Kenepuru shuttle leave from the main public entrance to the Accident and Medical Clinic.

    The Wellington shuttle leaves from outside the main entrance of Wellington Regional Hospital.

    Contact us for more information

    Call us on (04) 806 2708 or email shuttle.booking@ccdhb.org.nz.

    If you leave an answerphone message, make sure to include:

    • your full name
    • where you’ll be leaving from
    • the date and time of your outward and return trip
    • how many people will be travelling

    Leaving a message doesn’t guarantee your booking request, but we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

    The Kāpiti Health Shuttle – run by A Safe Kāpiti (ASK)

    The Kāpiti Health Shuttle runs from Monday to Thursday. Please note that the shuttle can’t take a wheelchair. Anyone who lives in Kāpiti can use the shuttle if they’re mobile and independent, or if they only need assistance from the driver to get in and out of the van. You can bring a support person with you in the shuttle.

    The shuttle makes pick-ups and drop offs from homes between Waikanae and Paekakariki. If you live in Otaki, it can pick you up at the bus stop in Ngaio Road, Waikanae.

    The shuttle’s volunteer drivers have had full driving training and first aid training.

    Make your appointments between certain times

    To help the shuttle run on time, we ask that you make appointments:

    • between 10am and 11.30am at Wellington Regional Hospital
    • between 9.30am and 11.30am at Kenepuru Community Hospital

    The shuttle is funded by donations

    We suggest a donation of $20 for a return trip from Wellington or Kenepuru. We can give you a receipt if you need one

    To make your booking, phone us on 0800 502066 extension 0

    Bookings must be made 24 hours before you want to travel. You can leave a message on our answerphone if you need to. If you need the shuttle on a Monday, please book on the Thursday beforehand.

    Transport options for Kāpiti residents

    a table explaining the transport options available to Kapiti residents

    Download transport options as a PDF

    We’ll provide the equipment you need

    If you need special equipment during your stay, such as adjustable walking frames or toilet seats, we’ll make it available. You can also ask for it during your stay.   

    Do you need equipment when you go home? Tell us before you leave and we’ll arrange it. To return it to us, phone us.

    Call these numbers to return equipment you’ve borrowed 

    If you borrowed from Capital and Coast DHB, call 04 918 6334.

    If you borrowed from in Hutt Valley DHB, call 04 570 9427.

    If you borrowed from Wairarapa DHB, call 06 946 9843.

    How to get around the hospital

    Capital & Coast District Health Board

    In your appointment letter you will receive a map and directions to tell you how to get to where you need to go. There is a map on the wall in the Atrium too.

    In the atrium there is a red stand where the volunteers are based.  The volunteers are willing to guide people to the correct location.

    Hutt Valley District Health Board 

    At the front entrance to the hospital (High Street entrance), there are volunteers available from 9am - 3pm Monday to Friday. 

    A volunteer is also available at the Health Passport helpdesk Monday to Wednesdays between 8.30am - 3pm. 

    The Hutt Hospital Emergency Department has volunteers available too. 

    Wairarapa District Health Board - VICKI

    Last updated 21 July 2021.