Visiting policy, hours & guidelines
Visitor Requirements:
Visitors must be in good health:
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Visitors or support people must not visit our facilities if they are unwell.
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Do not visit if you have recently tested positive for COVID-19 and haven't completed your isolation period.
Visitors and support people are recommended to wear medical masks
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A disposable surgical/medical mask is recommended, and these are available at all sites.
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Eating or drinking at the bedside should be minimised, due to the increased risk when people remove their masks in the same space.
Requirements for children visiting:
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Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
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Paediatric outpatient appointments can be attended by two (2) parents/caregivers or whānau.
Visiting patients admitted with suspected or confirmed COVID-19:
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Visiting patients who have been admitted with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 is only permitted at the discretion of the Charge Nurse/Midwife Manager, Duty Nurse Manager or Senior Clinician who is managing the patient and under the supervision of nursing or midwifery staff.
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Before any visitor is allowed to enter an area where there are COVID-19-positive patients, they must be met by an appropriate staff member who will ensure personal hand hygiene requirements are met, and PPE is appropriately worn.
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Visitors will be instructed on the correct use of the PPE provided.
Limits to the number of visitors allowed:
Specialty Units / Clinics within the hospital may have extra requirements. Visitors will be guided by staff to ensure safety is maintained.If visiting policies within a speciality unit are more rigorous than stated in this policy, they are to be followed.
Patients in a general ward:
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A maximum of two (2) visitors at a time will be allowed to visit ward patients during visiting hours. Exceptions may be made by the Charge Nurse/Midwife, or after hours the Duty Nurse Manager.
Patients in the Emergency Department (ED), Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and High Dependency Unit (HDU):
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Only one (1) person should accompany a patient.
Patients attending an appointment in outpatients:
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Only one (1) person should accompany a patient.
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Paediatric outpatient appointments can be attended by two (2) parents/caregivers or whānau.
Patients in the Oncology Chemotherapy unit:
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No visitors during this time
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One (1) support person/partner in care is allowed.
Maternity:
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One (1) support person/partner in care can stay, including overnight.
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Additional support people require Charge Midwife approval. Siblings are the only child visitors allowed, and if over 12 years old, must wear a mask at all times.
Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU):
- In addition to parents/caregivers, siblings or other family may also visit by prior arrangement with the Charge Nurse.
Paediatrics:
- Parents and caregivers can now be with their tamariki / rangatahi in hospital. Please coordinate visits with the parent or caregiver staying with the child.
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.
Note that family meetings and advance care discussions etc. are not considered visiting, so number restrictions do not apply.
General visitor guidelines
Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand, Nelson Marlborough prioritises the safety and privacy of patients, visitors and staff.
We ask visitors to follow common-sense rules to ensure that patients can rest and recover, and to ensure that other visitors are not disrupted.
Rules for visitors to our hospitals and other facilities
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Only visit if you are well – patients are vulnerable to contagious viruses and disease
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Photographs, video and audio recordings can only be taken with the permission of the patient, staff member and other people in the room. Ask first.
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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.
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Respect other patients and visitors in shared rooms. Patients appreciate peace and quiet.
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Ask medical staff first before offering food or beverages to a patient
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Consumption of alcohol, illegal drugs, cigarettes and vaping is not allowed on the premises.
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Call in advance if wanting to visit a family member after 8.30pm
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Wait patiently for assistance from staff who may be busy attending to patients.
Definitions
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Patient – Any person being assessed, diagnosed or seeking treatment. This includes mental health services users
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Visitor – Member of the public not receiving an assessment, diagnostics or treatment and who is not directly involved in providing supportive care to a patient.
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Support Person/ Partner in care – Designated person identified by the patient who is directly involved in the physical, mental, or social support of the patient in both inpatient and outpatient settings. (e.g. parent of a child, partner of labouring woman, parent/guardian/paid support of a person with a physical/intellectual disability or cognitive impairment)
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Non-essential visitors – e.g. company representatives, external people attending meetings, people not visiting family / whānau, off-duty staff.
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Whānau spokesperson – the single point of contact for the whānau.
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High-risk areas – Emergency Departments (ED), Intensive Care Units / High Dependency Units (ICU / HDU), Medical Assessment and Planning Unit (MAPU), Aged Care wards, Maternity wards, Delivery Suite, Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), Oncology (including chemotherapy areas), Renal Outpatient and Inpatient areas, Immunology or other Outpatient areas that have at risk patients.
Exceptions
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Clinical Nurse Managers/Clinical Midwife Managers or Duty Nurse Managers can consider additional requests on a case-by-case basis. All requests for exceptions will be guided by principles of kindness, discretion and compassion.
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Family meetings and advance care discussions etc. are not considered visiting therefore number restrictions do not apply.
Gifts, Flowers and Personal items
- Personal items such as books, pens, and toiletries can be brought in but must not be shared with other patients, whānau or staff. Patients who are immunocompromised, in isolation or in our ICU/HDU/IMCU/SCBU areas should not receive flowers.
We're smokefree, are you?
This means you cannot smoke anywhere on-site – inside or out. This includes the use of e-cigarettes (vaping).
How will I cope with being smokefree in hospital?
We have dedicated quit coaches who are available to start you on your smoke-free journey and help you to stay smoke-free and vape-free.
If you do not want to stop smoking or vaping, our staff will still support you to be smoke-free while you are in the hospital or other Nelson Marlborough Health facilities.
We can provide nicotine replacement therapy (eg patches or gum) to reduce the severity of some of the symptoms people experience when they can't smoke, such as cravings, irritability and restlessness.
Want help to quit smoking or vaping?
We know that most people who smoke or vape want to quit and that it can be a hard journey. Talking to your doctor, nurse, or midwife about your smoking is a great first step.
We also have two free services for people in the Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough regions that are designed to give you the best chance of becoming, and staying, smoke-free and vape-free.
Click here to find out more about help with quitting smoking
Page last updated: 12/09/2023