NZNO nurses, healthcare assistants and some midwives plan to strike from 9am on Wednesday 30 July to 9am on Thursday 31 July. Patient safety is our priority and our hospitals will remain open. Continue to attend all appointments unless we have contacted you directly to reschedule.
Southland Hospital
Kew Road
Kew
Invercargill 9812
If your health emergency is not life threatening, but you cannot wait for an appointment with your usual doctor or healthcare provider, go to an after hours or urgent medical centre. They can help you with things like bad cuts, sprains or breaks, minor head injuries, or if you are feeling really sick. You do not need an appointment but might have to wait.
40 Clyde Street
Invercargill
Southland 9810
Phone: 0800 456 138
For general enquiries:
If you have an upcoming admission and feel sick, call the admissions office on 03 218 1949
Postal address:
Southland Hospital
PO Box 828
Invercargill 9840
Visiting hours are 2pm to 8pm daily.
The following wards have special visiting guidelines:
If you are visiting after hours, you must report to the security counter inside the main entrance. This is located beside the emergency department reception. You will need to sign in and out in case of an emergency.
The main entrance to the hospital is on Kew Road.
Southland Hospital
Kew Road
Kew
Invercargill 9812
The Hato Hone St John's Waka Ora health shuttles help people get to health and wellbeing related appointments and home again. Their shuttles are available in the following areas for people going to and from Southland Hospital:
Find out about shuttle times in your area by calling St John on 0800 103 046 or going to their website.
There is free car parking at Southland Hospital.
Parking spaces are also available on Kew Road and Elles Road.
There are pick-up and drop-off zones outside both hospital entrances.
Southland Hospital has dedicated mobility parking near the main entrances to the hospital.
There is a cafeteria on the ground floor of the main corridor.
Opening hours:
Times may vary on public holidays.
Hospital chaplains, ministers and lay church visitors are available to visit you. They can be contacted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, either through your nurse or the hospital telephone operator.
The hospital chapel/quiet room is on Level 1 near the medical ward entrance. It is always open.
Southland Hospital has a gift shop in the ground floor foyer. It is open 10am to 4pm daily.
A selection of books is available in most ward day rooms.
You can also request specific titles or large-print books. Ask the ward staff to contact the librarian.
The pharmacy is on the first floor. You can get outpatient prescriptions here.
Opening hours:
To contact the pharmacy, call 03 214 7218
There are pay phones outside the medical ward and near the outpatients area.
There is a letterbox near the main entrance that is emptied daily. If you are staying in hospital, ward staff can help you post your mail.
If you are sending mail to a person in hospital, address it to:
Patient name
Patient's ward name
Southland Hospital
PO Box 828
Invercargill 9840
The Ronald McDonald Family Room offers 4 short-stay rooms for caregivers of critically ill children. They are allocated in consultation with hospital staff. The Family Room also provides a quiet space for whānau to relax and recharge near their hospitalised child.
The Māori Health Unit provides a family room service, Te Whare Whānau. This is a short-term accommodation option (1 to 3 nights) available to whānau members who live outside of Invercargill while you receive hospital care.
The room can sleep up to 15 people. A contribution towards using the room is expected — a minimum of $10 per night per person or $25 per family per night.
Register at the security office in the main foyer. You will be provided with 24-hour swipe card access.
For information about Te Whare Whānau, ask the nursing staff.
The Māori Health Unit provides nursing and social support services to Māori and non-Māori patients and their whānau. We are here to support you and your whānau to achieve maximum health, wellbeing and independence.
Additional support is available for Māori and Pasifika to help ensure the return home after a hospital stay goes as well as possible.
We are committed to providing you with a holistic health service and aim to:
Māori health services — Otago and Southland
The Pacific Islands nurse specialist service is designed to assist Pacific people returning home after a hospital stay and to provide nursing follow-up. We aim to prevent the need for hospital admission by offering community care and home visits. There is ongoing contact with GPs and primary-based (community) services focusing on healthcare and education.
The service is available Monday to Friday.
Nurses work with the local Pacific Islands Trust, where other support and nurse-led clinics are available.
Pacific Island nurse service — Otago and Southland
Due to the risk that fresh flowers pose to patients with respiratory disorders, you cannot bring them into the following areas:
If you are bringing flowers in or using florist delivery services, check with the ward reception.
St John Ambulance Service hospital hosts and volunteers are here to assist you, whether you are a patient or a visitor, in the following areas:
We provide 24-hour language support in more than 55 languages, including New Zealand Sign Language. We can support you in hospital, or if you need to see another healthcare provider.
Interpretation services can be provided face-to-face, by video or by phone.
If you have a hospital appointment or have been admitted to the hospital, let a member of our staff know that you need an interpreter.
If you need to see another healthcare provider, such as a GP, let them know as soon as possible that you need an interpreter.
Interpretation services are free of charge for patients attending publicly funded appointments at healthcare facilities, either in the public hospital system or the community. This is subject to patient eligibility, such as residency.
All staff are trained to understand and respect diversity. Many have undertaken additional sign language, cultural and linguistic training.
The hospital and grounds are all smoke and vape free areas. If you are a patient we can help with nicotine replacement therapy.
Many different health professionals, including doctors, nurses, midwives, and allied health staff, come to work at Southland Hospital every day.
Students are an important part of this hospital's healthcare team and get valuable on-the-job training.
If it is proposed that students are to be involved in your care, you will be asked for your permission for students to help care for you.
Things to keep in mind during your stay:
Examples of how students may be involved in your care:
Each time a new student meets you, you have the right to decide if they can participate in your care.
Your consent is not a blanket consent — you can choose what level of involvement you are comfortable with.
You can withdraw your consent at any time.
Some aspects of healthcare can be challenging. For example, you might need to have an examination or procedure of a more personal nature.
Student practical placement is an important part of training, but above all else, we want you to feel safe and comfortable.
Your decision will not disadvantage you.
You can change your mind if you later decide to have students help care for you.
