wcdhb banner

West Coast DHB Website Service Status

IMPORTANT! New content for this website is currently only served on one page.

Are you looking for some info/resources, but can't find them?

N documents have been added to our temporary 'New Documents' section.

To access them now, please click here.

A new health facility for Buller

Have your say on the latest draft concept plans for the new Buller Health facility.

We welcome your feedback on the layout of the floor plan and the site – Pakington Street, or the current Buller Health site.

Please tell us what you think before Friday 20 April.

Find out more...

 

Phone

General Enquiries and
Contacting WCDHB Staff

In case of MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, incl. Fire, Police and Ambulance, please dial 111 from any phone or mobile. (This service is free).

To contact WCDHB staff, if you don't know their number, or for any general enquiries try phoning Grey Base Hospital's main reception desk: (03) 769-7400, then dial extension 0 (zero).

We also have a dedicated directory with further key contacts. To use it please select the 'Contacts' tab near the top-right of this page.

O'Conor Home - Independent Audit now published

In response to a range of concerns raised by members of the community about care provided at the O'Conor Home, a special assessment was commissioned by the DHB to provide an independent audit of the management and quality of care provided at the facility. The final audit report was received this week and this report is publicly available here. The report has not identified any significant issues at O'Conor Home. The audit team felt that the standard of care at O'Conor Home was appropriate and in some categories 'exemplary'.

 

The West Coast DHB Sponsorship Programmes

Leap into a health related career

The West Coast District Health Board offers scholarships and studentships for West Coast students studying for health-related careers.

We recognise the efforts students put into their studies and have provided a number of scholarships and studentships over the past years to assist people in our rural community with their journey towards a valued health career.

By supporting our West Coast community, we are continuing to cultivate a future rural health workforce of highly trained and skilled health professionals.

 

HealthInfo

Have you visited HealthInfo yet?

HealthInfo West Coast is an easy-to-use health information website, just for the people of the West Coast.

HealthInfo Logo

Emergency & After-hours Medical Help

Want to stop smoking?

Find out here how...

Oranga Hā - Tai Poutini: Stop Smoking West Coast provides free smokefree support to anyone who wants to stop smoking and lives on the West Coast.

Click here or on the image below to visit this brand-new website where you can find out more and jumpstart your new way of healthy living.

Visit this brand-new website where you can find out more and jumpstart your new way of healthy living

West Coast DHB's
Quality Accounts 2017 publication is now available

Access and read our most recently published WCDHB Quality Accounts

Warming Up Your Home

A warm, dry home is a healthy home.

To find out how to warm up your home, including subsidised insulation information, visit the CEA website

To find out how to warm up your home, including subsidised insulation information, visit www.cea.co.nz

Green Prescriptions (GRx)

Green Prescriptions (GRx)

Need help getting active?

Green Prescription is New Zealand's highly successful exercise referral programme. Doctors and Practice Nurses write a GRx for inactive patients to access support with increasing their physical activity levels for health and wellness benefits.

The programme involves an initial face-to-face consultation with GRx co-ordinator followed by regular visits and continued support. To find out more information contact Michael Davey on (03)768 6182 ext 713 or (027) 288 0057 or ask your GP or practice nurse about being referred to Green Prescription.

How a Green Prescription can help:

  • Being physically active has many benefits. Not only does it make you feel good, it can also help you to:
  • Feel more confident, happy and relaxed
  • Have more energy
  • Improve cholesterol levels
  • Improve blood sugar levels
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Reduce stress, feelings of anxiety and depression
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Improve sleeping habits
  • Keep your bones strong
  • Cope better with asthma and breathing problems
  • Increase flexibility, mobility and reduce the pain of arthritis
  • Reduce the risk of some types of cancer
  • Reduce the risk of falling

This info has been kindly provided by the West Coast Primary Health website

Furthermore, additional info can be obtained by visiting the Ministry of Health website, but if you live on South Island's West Coast in New Zealand please note that some details provided there may not apply to you, so please check with your local Health Professional re Green Prescription qualifying criteria, etc.

Needing to Travel for Health Care or wondered about parking around our hospitals?

Do you have to travel for health care?

You may be eligible for travel assistance via the National Travel Assistance Scheme.

Buller shuttle service

Need transport from Westport to Greymouth or Greymouth to Westport?

Red Cross provides a FREE shuttle service.

For more details about this service please click here.

Wondered about parking facilities at Christchurch Hospital?

Find out more about Park and Ride

We have just added some information that you might find interesting that concerns parking facilities around the West Coast and Christchurch hospitals.

Christchurch is shortly undergoing changes about allocated parking and are introducing a Park and Ride shuttle service. For more information about this simply select the link below.

Telehealth - Bringing Specialists to Rural Areas

News Release on One News, Saturday, 23rd March

The use of telemedicine on the West Coast is world leading and the DHB should be very proud of how well it works.

Lorelei Mason, health reporter for TVNZ, met with Liaison Paediatrician Dr John Garrett and filmed a story about the success of the Transalpine Paediatric Service. Lorelei shot footage of John in Christchurch talking to a family in Buller. There was also a TVNZ cameraman at Buller Health filming the family talking with John. The news item was aired on One News, Saturday 23 March 2013.

Work is underway on expanding the use of telemedicine across a range of other services at the West Coast DHB.

Health Problem? Need a doctor or nurse?

In an accident or medical emergency,
where life or limbs may be at risk

phone 111

any time of the day or night and request an ambulance.

If your health problem is not an emergency,
please phone your local medical/health centre
any time of the day or night.

If the centre is unattended, your call will be diverted to an experienced registered nurse.

Visitors to the West Coast please phone (03) 769-7449.

More resources for download:

Upcoming Board & Committee Meetings
(March - June 2018)

Committee Date Time Venue When downloadable papers
become available:
Tatau Pounamu
Advisory Group		 Fri, 9 March 2018 10.00 am Board Room,
Corporate Offices, Grey Base Hospital, Greymouth		 Now available for download
Advisory Committee Meeting (CPHAC, DSAC and HAC combined) Fri,
23 March 2018 		10.30 am St John, Water Walk Rd, Greymouth Now available for download
Board Fri,
23 March 2018 		01:00 pm St John,
Water Walk Rd,
Greymouth		 Now available for download
Advisory Committee Meeting (CPHAC, DSAC and HAC combined) Fri,
11 May 2018 		10.30 am St John, Water Walk Rd, Greymouth Wed,
9 May,
10:30 am
Board Fri,
11 May 2018 		01:00 pm St John, Water Walk Rd, Greymouth Wed,
9 May,
1:00 pm
Advisory Committee Meeting (CPHAC, DSAC and HAC combined) Fri,
29 June 2018		 10.30 am St John, Water Walk Rd, Greymouth Wed,
27 June,
10:30 am
Board Fri,
29 June 2018		 01:00 pm St John, Water Walk Rd, Greymouth Wed,
27 June,
1:00 pm

Hot Off the Press

14-03-2018  Grey Base large pohutakawa pruning to take place

A tree expert has advised the West Coast DHB that the large pohutakawa on the north-eastern side of the Corporate block in Greymouth has been damaged and will need some serious pruning to make it safe.
more

09-03-2018  Coast pertussis cases on the rise

Pregnant women and babies under one need to be vaccinated against pertussis (whooping cough), Medical Officer of Health Dr Cheryl Brunton says. more

09-03-2018  Feedback helps mental health services plan

Feedback from people with experience of mental health or addictions is helping redesign local mental health services. more

23-02-2018  Grey Base overbridge to close temporarily

The overbridge connecting the main street of Greymouth with the Grey Base Hospital will be closed for five days from Monday 26 February to Friday 2 March to allow for the installation of in-ground services. more

09-02-2018  CPH nutritionist selected for leadership course

Greymouth-based Community and Public Health Nutrition Health Promoter Jade Winter has just been selected to attend a prestigious Oceanic leadership development course in Queensland in July. more

09-02-2018  DHB announces closure of Dunsford aged residential care facility

The West Coast District Health Board has today announced to staff that it intends to proceed with the closure of the Westport-based Dunsford Ward rest home and hospital level aged residential care facility by 1 March 2018. more

02-02-2018  Public health advice, including how to stay safe in the aftermath of flooding

The following advice is issued by Canterbury and West Coast Community and Public Health and applies to areas of the West Coast and Canterbury that have been affected by Cyclone Fehi. more

01-02-2018  Buller Health evacuating some palliative and aged residential care patients due to concerns over potential flooding

Over the past week a number of Reefton people have experienced diarrhoea and vomiting. Tests have confirmed viral gastroenteritis and health officials are now cautioning locals about the outbreak. more

26-01-2018  Reefton experiences gastroenteritis outbreak

Over the past week a number of Reefton people have experienced diarrhoea and vomiting. Tests have confirmed viral gastroenteritis and health officials are now cautioning locals about the outbreak. more

18-01-2018  Independent assessment of O'Conor Home shows no concerns

In response to a range of concerns raised by members of the community about care provided at the O'Conor Home a special assessment was commissioned by the DHB to provide an independent audit of the management and quality of care provided at the facility. more

10-01-2018  Mental health and addiction service users' feedback wanted

People with experience of mental health or addictions are being asked to provide the West Coast District Health Board with some feedback, to help redesign local services. more

14-12-2017  Grey Base overbridge to close 8 January

The overbridge connecting the main street of Greymouth with the Grey Base Hospital will be closed for 10 days from Monday 8 to Thursday 18 January so pipework can be laid. more

13-12-2017  DHB Focus on People documents quality initiatives

The West Coast District Health Board has published its annual "Quality Accounts" newspaper, "Focus on People", to demonstrate the huge number of quality initiatives going on through the health system. more

23-11-2017  Be mindful of mumps

While tests showed two suspected cases of mumps reported in the past few weeks on the West Coast were not actually mumps, Medical Officer of Health Dr Cheryl Brunton advises caution. more

26-09-2017  West Coast physio shortages result in changes

A national shortage of DHB-based physiotherapists means the West Coast DHB has had to implement temporary changes to services for patients. more

06-09-2017  Mental health initiatives put together

A calendar of mental health and suicide prevention trainings, workshops and programmes is being published to mark this weekend's World Suicide Prevention Day (Sunday 10 September). more

23-08-2017  Community dementia service shifts to CCCN

Community Dementia Services will soon be managed through the Complex Clinical Care Network (CCCN), to better meet the needs of the West Coast community. more

02-08-2017  Slight delays with Grey Medical Centre phones

Additional phone lines are being installed in the new combined Grey Medical Centre to alleviate current issues with delays some people are experiencing getting through to the Practice. more

02-08-2017  New West Coast DHB general manager appointed

Philip Wheble has this week been announced as the new general manager for the West Coast District Health Board. more

12-06-2017  Rural Academic GP to merge with Grey Medical Centre

In anticipation of the new Grey Integrated Family Health Centre opening next year, two of Greymouth's general practices will merge at the start of July. more

>>Read all recent and archived news and Media Releases.

Free B4 School Check Clinics

Free B4 SCHOOL CHECK Clinics

Is your 4-year old ready for school? Find out the dates of clinics in your area

Meet and discuss your 4-year olds health:

  • Dental Care
  • Vision & Hearing
  • Growth & Development
  • Behaviour
  • Immunisation

Download the poster and the 'Clinic Dates Schedule'' for more information (link provided just below):

West Coast DHB Employment Opportunities

Our Careers (Employment) Section has moved...

Did you know...

All of our current vacancies are now also available at 2 locations.

1. Our new West Coast Health Careers website:
www.westcoasthealthcareers.co.nz and

2. the Kiwi Health Jobs website.

West Coast DHB Website Service Status

Our website is currently fully operational!

Are you looking for some info/resources, but can't find them?

You can request changes, or additions to this website, which our website developer will review before making a decision as to whether your request can be fulfilled.

To make such a request now, please click here.