Visitors

Wairarapa Hospital is now at Level 1 – GREEN status

This came into effect at 6.00pm on Friday, 2 September 2022.

For visitors to Wairarapa Hospital GREEN status means:

• Visiting hours are 2pm – 8pm

• A maximum of one visitor at a time in the following areas:

 Emergency Department (ED)

 High Dependency Unit (HDU)

 Imaging (Radiology)

 Assessment Treatment and Rehabilitation (ATR)

 Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU)

 Maternity - a maximum of one visitor or partner/birthing partner at a time.

In all other areas of the hospital a maximum of two visitors at a time is allowed.

All visitors must wear a mask and sanitise their hands.

Exceptions are by agreement with the Charge Nurse Manager, Senior Clinician or Duty Nurse Manager.

In addition to the visitors, Kaitiaki / Partners in care will remain in place.

Kaitiaki / Partners in Care (anyone who provides essential care needs to a patient as part of their health experience).

Kaitiaki are an important component of people’s wellness and recovery, and hospital staff value the support Kaitiaki provide for patients.

This includes people providing extra support due to a disability e.g. sign language/interpreter or to assist with mobility.

Kaitiaki / Partners in Care

Kaitiaki / Partners in care are agreed between the clinical care team and whānau and support 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 patient outcomes.

Remember all people entering the hospital will need to wear a mask.

If whānau would like to consider other options for connecting (via phone or virtual, e.g. Zoom or Face Time) please speak with the Charge Nurse of the areas your family member is in. 

Planned care (e.g. elective surgery and care that is not in relation to an acute, urgent need) is being deferred, where is it clinically safe to reschedule it to a later date. Some planned care will be delivered virtually where it is appropriate to do so.

This does not apply to people needing acute surgery or cancer treatments, who will receive the urgent treatment they require.

Workforce challenges

Our DHB workforce is experiencing the same challenges due to Covid related absence as the wider Wairarapa community.
This, together with staff vacancies means there are significant staffing shortages across some areas. This may result in a different response than usual, including longer waiting times. We are sorry for this, and ask for your understanding.

To help us reduce pressure and long waiting times in ED, please help us to keep ED for emergency care.

You may be able to get more timely care closer to home from your GP or Healthline, or from the After Hours Service based at Masterton Medical Centre at 4 Colombo Road, Lansdowne, Masterton, on weekends and public holidays.

The After Hours Service provides urgent medical care to ALL Wairarapa and out of town patients. You do not have to be a patient of Masterton Medical Centre to use this service. After hours is open weekends and public holidays, 9am-5pm,

Phone 06 370 0011 or you can access telehealth primary care between 5pm-10pm weekdays and 8am-8pm weekends/public holidays through PracticePlus.

The chart below indicates the four different levels and what this means for visitors to the hospital.