Hutt Hospital

Disability alerts and health passports give your healthcare providers information about you for your appointment.

Disability alerts

A disability alert adds information about your needs to your electronic patient file. It helps us make sure you can:

• access your appointment
• understand what is happening
• feel safe.

For more information or help with disability alerts:

• phone 0800 347 224 5489 (0800 DISABILITY)
• email disability@ccdhb.org.nz
• text 021 578 307

My Health Passport

To save you repeating information to your doctor or health and disability services, use My Health Passport. It explains how you want them to communicate with you and help you.

My Health Passport — Health and Disability Commissioner (external link)

Communication graphic cards

NZSL video about communication graphic cards — Vimeo (external link)

These cards are for Deaf and hard of hearing people to use when accessing health services. They are to:

• help you communicate with other people
• make other people aware of different ways to communicate with you.

The cards are the same size as a bank card so that they fit in your wallet. You could also save the image to your phone and show it when you visit.

There are 3 cards that say 'Hello, I'm Deaf' and 3 cards that say 'Hello, I'm hard of hearing' and they have different messages:

• one outlining communication methods
• one asking people to use NZ Video Relay Services
• one asking people to us physical distancing so that face masks can be removed.

Hello, I'm Hard of Hearing cardPDF1.7 MB

Hello, I'm Deaf cardPDF1.6 MB

Both cards — postcard sizePDF360 KB

Both card – business card sizePDF176 KB

Co-production, user experience testing and research

Co-production involves finding patients who can attend a meeting or series of meetings with the Disability team and other staff to develop a new service or way of working. Sometimes we also ask patients to give us feedback through user experience testing. If you would like to be included in co-production or user experience testing, we would love to hear from you.

If you are a researcher with disability expertise, let us know. We like to work with researchers who are familiar with the rights-based approach to disability. We frequently recommend potential researchers to other departments across the region.

To contact us:

• phone 0800 347 224 5489 (0800 DISABILITY)
• email disability@ccdhb.org.nz
• text 021 578 307

If you are coming for an infusion:

• come to the endoscopy and medical day stay reception area on arrival on the day of your scheduled appointment
• wear comfortable clothing — preferably something loose fitting around your arm area so that we are able to easily insert an IV line
• pack a lunch — most of the infusions are quite short in duration — an iron infusion takes around 30 minutes, for example — but some or more lengthy infusions (tea and coffee is provided)
• you are welcome to bring someone, but due to space constraints we ask that this is limited to just 1 support person
• let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to keep your appointment so that we can offer it to someone else
• if you need to have a blood test, have this done at least 2 to 3 days before your appointment to avoid delays
• you may need to pay a $5 prescription fee for some infusion, or provide a high user pharmacy card — you will be notified about this upon confirmation of your appointment.

If you are unable to attend your appointment or have any queries, call us as soon as possible on 04 570 9158

We can book an interpreter to support:

• people who do not speak English or do not speak it with confidence
• people who communicate by sign language
• when translation of written information (to or from English) is required
• some interpreter services are available by telephone.

Let the service or ward know if you want to use an interpreter.

Sign language interpreter

You should use a qualified NZSL interpreter in any situations where you make important decisions. These situations include:

• health consultations
• assessments
• treatments
• discussions about which medicines you should have.

The department you are seeing will book the interpreter.

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora pays for interpreters for hospital appointments.

iSign pays for interpreters for:

• GP (family doctor) appointments
• ultrasound appointments

You can ask for an NZSL interpreter to be at your appointment. We do not recommend using a family member as an interpreter.

You can ask for a particular interpreter to be at your appointment. If the interpreter you want is not available, you can go ahead with the appointment with another interpreter. Otherwise, you can reschedule it for when the interpreter is available.

If you would like to book an interpreter yourself, contact iSign.

iSign (external link)

Your options if you cannot get an interpreter

Your healthcare provider will work with you to find the best way to communicate with you.

Some options include:

• New Zealand Relay video interpreting service (external link)
• delaying the appointment until you can get an interpreter
• using note writing, online videos, gestures, lip reading, or a family member or friend to interpret — these options can be risky, so only use them as a last resort.

NZSL video about coming to hospital

CCDHB NZSL video about coming to hospital — YouTube (external link)

We lend hospital equipment to patients to support their recovery, such as:

• crutches
• wheelchairs
• bathroom chairs.

When we lend any equipment we will let you know when you need to return it. This date is agreed with your healthcare provider and is based on the time they estimate you will need it to support your recovery from illness, an accident or surgery.

There is no charge for equipment, or fee if they are returned late.

We appreciate people returning equipment when they no longer need them. This means they are on hand to lend to other patients who need them, and we do not have to spend money buying replacement items, which could spent on providing other health services to our communities.

You do not need to return any personal hospital equipment, such as:

• moon boots
• pressure bandages or strapping
• linen.

You can dispose of these in your rubbish.

If you need your equipment for longer, or cannot return your equipment:

• phone 04 918 6334
• email equipmentreturns@ccdhb.org.nz

Where to return equipment

Return equipment to the Hutt Hospital equipment store, accessible from Gate 4 on Pilmiur Street.

The store is open 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

You can also return equipment to Upper Hutt Physio Clinic.

Upper Hutt Physio Clinic
Level 1
12 Criterion Lane

The clinic is open:

• 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm, Monday to Thursday
• 8am to 11:30am, Friday

If you cannot visit a whānau member or friend in hospital, we can help by:

• getting an email or phone message to a patient
• sending a free card to a patient
• organising a Zoom video call with a patient (if a device is available).

If you would like to do any of these:

• email korero@huttvalleydhb.org.nz
• phone 027 2633 109

The patient welfare team is available 10am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

You can also send a message using our form.

Send a message to a patient at Hutt Hospital (internal link)

The chapel is open at all times for reflection and quiet retreat. Chaplains are available 24 hours a day. Please ask our staff if you require assistance at any time.

Sunday service: Ecumenical 10:15am. Everyone is welcome.

There are times when it is helpful to a person's recovery and wellbeing to have a support person stay with them when they are staying on a ward. We call these people kaitiaki under our kaitiakitanga kaupapa | guideline.

This is where a patient can ask for a whānau member or friend to stay outside of visiting times to provide support during their stay in hospital.

This involves a discussion between the:

• patient
• person nominated to be kaitiaki about what this involves
• duty or charge nurse manager.

We aim to support these requests where we can. However this may not always be available:

• in high-risk areas
• if there is a clinical reason
• it would affect other patients in the area.

To find out if this option may be available for you, speak with the patient's duty or charge nurse manager.

The Māori health unit was created to support whānau, the community, and the health workforce to improve outcomes across Māori health, including equitable access to services and supports that are appropriate to the needs of whānau.

Our primary functions are to:

• support Māori whānau in their hospital and health care journey
• connect whānau with appropriate community supports and services
• build strong connections and foundations within Māori communities
• influence health services to ensure they are equitable
• support the hospital to meet the needs of Māori whānau.

We also work closely with Māori health and social service providers to ensure whānau have appropriate and coordinated services that best meet the needs of their whānau.

Office location

We are located in the Clock Tower Building. From the main entrance, we are on the left side of the corridor.

Hutt Hospital mapPDF611 KB

Contact us

You can contact us by:

• asking your healthcare provider to make a referral
• email whanaucareservices@huttvalleydhb.org.nz
• popping into our office.

The hospital and grounds are all smoke and vape free areas. If you are a patient we can help with nicotine replacement therapy.

Hutt Hospital is a place where staff, patients, whānau and friends work together to care for sick and injured people. We want a safe and calm environment for everyone. We have zero tolerance to violence, aggression or harassment of any kind towards staff, patients or visitors.

This includes:

• intimidation or threats
• swearing
• shouting
• racial or sexual comments
• physical aggression towards people or property.

Please treat everyone with dignity and respect. We all share the same goal — to care for patients. Please treat all our patients, staff and visitors with respect and dignity.

Please respect our rules. These are required to ensure the best outcome for our patients.

Please talk to us if you are feeling frustrated or stressed. Patients get better faster when we use calm voices and work together as a team. Use our whānau spaces or take a break outside if you are overwhelmed.

We want our place to be a safe place for all. We are all responsible for making our place a safe place for everyone.

Ma tini, ma mano, ka rapa te whai — by joining together we will succeed.