Visitors and Family

Visiting Counties Manukau Health care facilities

“Haumara te taonga - Keeping our treasures safe”

To best ensure the wellbeing of our patients, staff and our community, visiting restrictions have been in place however we have made some changes to enable our patients’ loved ones to more easily spend time with them.

When you visit:

• Greeters will be stationed at the main entrances to Middlemore Hospital to welcome you to our facilities and guide you with the necessary public health precautions. Visitors will no longer need to register or sign in.
• Kaitiaki and visitors are asked not to enter our facilities if they or anyone in their household has COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms, or if they are currently advised to be isolating.  
• Disposable medical grade face masks must be worn when inside our facilities.  If you do not have one, we can provide one for you to use. Reusable cloth masks, scarves, bandannas, or t-shirts cannot be used when visiting a health facility.
• You must socially distance wherever possible.
• Visitors with service or guide dogs are permitted if they comply with hospital policy and other local guidelines. 
• Home-cooked food can only be delivered directly to patients by kaitiaki or visitors. It cannot be left to be collected.

We appreciate this can be a difficult time for patients and their whaanau and friends - please remember that our policy is in place to help to ensure our patients, staff and community are safe.

General Policy:

• We will support patients to have a maximum of two kaitiaki (guardian, carer, or care partner) or visitors at any one time between 8am and 8pm.  
• One kaitiaki can visit overnight (8pm-8am) if prearranged with the ward charge nurse or midwife manager. 
• Generally, children under 15 should not visit healthcare facilities. Visits from under 15-year-olds must be agreed in advance with the ward charge nurse or midwife manager.
• Some services including maternity, neonatal, paediatrics, emergency, and mental health have different rules.
• Please note: Exceptions to these services’ rules may be made on compassionate grounds on a case-by-case basis but you will need to check with your whaanau member’s care team before you visit i.e. the ward charge nurse or midwife manager.

We appreciate this is a difficult time for patients and their whaanau and friends - please remember that our policy is in place to ensure all our patients are safe. 

Service exceptions

Critical Care:

• Two visitors per patient; one named kaitiaki/visitor for COVID-19 positive patients.
• For family meetings: Attendance limited to maximum of 10 adults and no children under 15.
• For end of life care (EOLC): At discretion of senior nursing and medical team a maximum of 10 people at one time including children under 15.

Neonatal Care:

• Parents or caregivers or kaitiaki for the duration of the admission. No more than two nominated persons in total.

Paediatric Wards:

• Parent or caregiver or kaitiaki for the duration of the admission.
• No more than two nominated persons in total.
• No siblings unless under exceptional circumstances and approved by senior team.

Maternity:

• Birthing and Assessment and/or Primary Birthing Units
  • Labour and Birthing
    Woman presenting for labour and birthing at Middlemore Hospital or a primary birthing unit are able to have two key support people with them at all times. Additionally, further support for compassionate reasons may be allowed with prior approval from the Midwife manager.
• Antenatal / Postnatal ward /Primary Birthing Unit care
  • Women admitted for antenatal or postnatal care at Middlemore Hospital or at a primary birthing unit will be able to have two support people with them during the hours of 8am to 8pm.
  • Overnight, one key support person with Midwife manager prior approval.

Emergency

• As per the regional policy - One kaitiaki/visitor nominated for one visit per day.

Renal  

• One kaitiaki can visit with patients who have high needs or have concerns around their outpatient dialysis. Approval is needed from the charge nurse at each unit. 

Haematology Day Ward/Manukau Infusion Centre

• Kaitiaki/visitors cannot accompany patients in the infusion rooms because the position and distance between individual treatment chairs does not enable enough space for visitors to safely physical distance.
• Where a support person is required, exceptions will be considered in advance in consultation with the Charge Nurse Manager.

Outpatients 

• One kaitiaki/visitor can attend appointments with the patient.

Franklin Memorial Hospital:

• Contact ward in advance for availability of visiting

Mental Health:

• Specific procedure. Pre-planned visiting via reception/service in advance for managing numbers of people on the unit.