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Visiting rules and tips

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Patients and visitors

Visiting rules and tips

COVID-19: Restricted visitor policy for all Waikato DHB Hospitals 

Restricted visitor policy for all Waikato DHB hospitals

To help keep our patients, staff and community safe we are restricting visitors at our sites from today (October 3) until further notice.

The primary purpose of our no visitor policy at this time is to reduce risk of infection in our hospitals and to keep everyone safe.

As our Public Health unit conducts further investigation into the COVID-19 cases identified in the Raglan and Hamilton areas the DHB is acting with an abundance of caution. We expect to have more information soon and will review our visitor policy accordingly. 

At this time, only support people or caregivers are allowed:

  • One support person for Emergency Department
  • One caregiver for paediatric areas
  • One support person for birthing facilities

All support people/caregivers need to report to Waikato DHB staff on arrival and must:

  • Use the NZ COVID Tracer app and scan codes displayed, or record details to ensure contact tracing can be carried out, if required 
  • Wear a face mask or covering
  • Observe strict hand hygiene and physical distancing
  • Follow the instructions of staff at all times
  • NOT have any COVID-19 symptoms or be otherwise unwell.  

We recognise how important the support of whānau is for our patients.

Some exceptions to our current no visitor policy may be possible on essential or compassionate grounds, and must be approved by the charge nurse manager, charge midwife manager or, out of hours, the duty nurse manager.

This excludes children under 16 who cannot visit at this time.

We encourage patients and whānau to use technology where available to maintain contact in these difficult times.

Thank you for understanding and respecting our safety requirements. 

COVID-19 in Waikato

Click here for more information

A warm welcome to everyone visiting patients

We know that coming to hospital can be stressful and can cause anxiety. Our goal is to provide the best care for patients. We also wish to ensure the health, wellbeing and security of staff and visitors.

Please help us to do this by following these guidelines.

  • Be considerate. Please show consideration and respect for all patients and the staff caring for them. This will help us to deliver the best patient care for everyone in a shared environment which caters to the needs of many.
  • Follow staff requests. From time to time staff may approach you and ask you to respond to a specific request in line with our Visiting Patients guideline. Please cooperate with these requests, they are not meant to offend, but to ensure we can 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.
  • No photos without permission. It is our intention to maintain patients’ rights to privacy at all times. Please be mindful when taking photos or video and do not take photos or videos of patients, visitors or staff without their permission.
  • No smoking or vaping on DHB grounds or in facilities.  Absolutely no smoking or vaping anywhere on DHB grounds.  More information further down this page. Find out more about giving up smoking Once And For All
  • Too many visitors? The number of people welcomed at the bedside at any one time will be determined by staff in collaboration with the patient and family. Where patients are in shared rooms, staff may also discuss the matter with other patient/s and their key support people. To ensure wellbeing and safety, consideration will also be given to the physical limitations of the space. You may find it easier to nominate a key support person or spokesperson for your group as this could ease communication.
  • Feeling unwell? If you are feeling unwell, have an infection, have a runny nose, cold or flu-like illnesses or have or have been exposed to contagious illnesses, e.g. chicken pox or measles within the past three weeks, please do not come to the hospital or facility.
  • Hand hygiene. For the safety of our patients, we require visitors and key support people to clean their hands with soap and water or gel hand rub when entering and leaving the ward and patient’s room. In certain circumstances visitors and key support people may be asked to comply with other requirements in the interests of patient safety.
  • Children welcome if supervised. Children directly supervised by an adult who is not the patient or a member of staff are welcome. In a small number of environments it is not suitable for children to visit, due to the vulnerability of other patients and the presence of highly technical equipment. Staff will discuss this with you.
  • Sharing 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.

We want to protect our patients’ privacy, as well as their health. Please help us.

Hand holding a phone

Ask for permission to take photos

Only take photographs if the patient, or their legal guardian, says you can. Please don’t take pictures, videos or make audio recordings of our staff unless they say it is okay. You may not take photos or videos of other patients and visitors. This includes general shots of wards, waiting rooms, corridors, cafe areas etc where other people are. 

Think before you upload

Do not post photos or information about your friend or loved one’s condition on social media unless they are happy for it to be seen by many people, including the media. It is not fair if other family/whānau members or friends find out via social media.

Thank you for helping us to care for your family and friends.

11am – 1.30pm and 4pm-8pm daily.

Where are you visiting?

Some of our areas, critical care wards, and other facilities have other requirements about visiting and patient resting times. Please check in advance using the information in the Locations section.

While vaping can help smokers to stop smoking and carries less risk than smoking cigarettes, it is not risk free.

The exact nature of the liquid products used in vaping is often unknown and is currently unregulated in New Zealand. Vapour will often drift into a space that is shared with other people.

Vaping products are intended for smokers only and the best thing smokers can do for their health is to quit smoking for good.

Consensus statement

This consensus statement has been agreed by the Ministry of Health and the Health Promotion Agency with input from a New Zealand expert advisory group:

  • The best thing you can do for your health is to be smokefree and vape free.
  • Vaping is not for children or young people.
  • Vaping can help some people quit smoking.
  • Vaping is not harmless but is much less harmful than smoking.
  • Vaping is not for non-smokers.

For more information visit www.vapingfacts.health.nz

We will require you to leave the hospital or facility if:

  • your behaviour creates a risk or threat to patients, staff or other visitors. This includes verbal and physical abuse, threatening and violent behaviour including the use of obscene language or gestures.
  • you refuse to follow isolation precautions.
  • you are not respectful or considerate of others and/or you refuse to comply with requests from staff in line with the visiting patients guideline.
  • you fail to supervise children in your care.
  • you bring alcohol, drugs or weapons to the hospital or if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

 Thank you for your help.