High Occupancy at Timaru Hospital

Timaru Hospital is currently experiencing higher than normal occupancy, increased volumes of emergency department presentations and a large number of COVID-19, RSV and flu cases among patients and staff.

Our teams are working diligently to mitigate these issues. Please be advised that some delays may occur if you are referring patients to hospital. We also expect some planned care may be affected as a result.

Hospital visits are currently restricted to two people per inpatient during hospital visiting hours (2:00pm – 8:00pm) and also restricted to two persons per patient in the outpatient and emergency departments. It is recommended that all visitors to the hospital wear masks when visiting patients or supporting whānau. Any additional visitors with compassionate circumstances will be assessed on case-by-case basis.

Act early if you or someone in your family gets sick. There are a range of health services that can help including your local GP or community pharmacist, Healthline (0800 611 116) or Plunket line (0800 933 922). In an emergency, come to the hospital Emergency Department immediately or call 111.