Oamaru Hospital Services

Provides a 24-hour service, 7 days a week.

Open to all emergencies that do not come under the umbrella of general practitioners. Once stabilization has been achieved all major trauma are transferred to Dunedin Hospital.

Less severe injuries may be admitted to Takaro Ward overnight for observation and transfers are made as necessary.

Acute surgical cases, once stabilised, are transferred to Dunedin, if required.

In some situations when a problem is not obvious and the condition does not justify immediate transfer, the patient is admitted to Takaro Ward for observation.

Visiting Hours: 2:00pm to 7:00pm.

The Ward has 21 beds and provides acute medical care, plus Assessment, Treatment & Rehabilitation (AT&R) services for the elderly and for patients transferred from Dunedin for post-operative care, including:

All patient rooms have ensuites.

Ōamaru Hospital has ten outpatient clinic rooms accommodating both publicly funded clinics and private clinics. These are provided by specialist consultants from Dunedin and Timaru who travel to Ōamaru at varying intervals.

Hepatology, Diabetes Education, Respiratory Education, Cardiac Education, Newborn hearing, Continence, ECG, clinic and Wound Management clinics are led by hospital nurses.

A team of chemotherapy-trained nurses provide chemotherapy drugs following initial drug administration in Dunedin.

The availability of local clinics eliminates the need for patient travel to base hospitals for outpatient treatment and care.

Following are Outpatient clinics at Ōamaru Hospital.  

The Assessment, Treatment and Rehabilitation (AT&R) Day Unit is designed as a continuation of inpatient rehabilitation for people over 65 years, with an age-related disability.

When you are ready for discharge from hospital, the multidisciplinary team, in consultation with yourself, will decide about the need for further rehabilitation.

If this is required, a referral will be sent to the coordinator of the Day Unit and you will then be contacted at your home.

Referrals to the AT&R Day Unit can also be made by yourself, your family and friends, GP or any other health care professional.

Community based service providing a wide range of counselling services, i.e. major psychiatric disorders, alcohol and drug-related problems, behavioural problems.

Hours of services from 8am to 4:30pm, 7 days a week, all year except Christmas Day.

This service is available to all people in the community within the Waitaki District. It is based at Ōamaru Hospital but extends into remote rural areas as required. On receipt of a referral from any health professional, a district nurse will visit patients at home either as requested by their GP or after discharge from hospital for an assessment of their needs.

It may include assessments for the following:

Non-urgent referrals are usually seen within 3 working days unless otherwise requested.

Urgent referrals are assessed within 24 hours.

Direct Dial No: 0800 101 444

Open from 7:30am to 5:30pm.

Home visits can be arranged.

Awanui Labs provides a 24-hour cover for Ōamaru Hospital.

Procedures carried out are: routine blood tests, cholesterol and lipid tests and specialist tests.

Collection of specimens and delivery of results to Ōamaru general practitioners are carried out three times a day.

The Ōamaru Hospital Primary Birthing Unit has two birthing rooms, three single-bedded postnatal rooms and two antenatal clinic rooms. All patient rooms have ensuite bathrooms.

Lead Maternity Care (LMC) midwives provide low-risk maternity care to women within this primary unit as well as out in the wider community. They also provide free pregnancy advice, free pregnancy testing, antenatal care, support throughout labour and birth, and postnatal care up to six weeks after birth. Advice and support on breastfeeding is also provided.

A team of experienced nurses provide hospital postnatal care.

For more information on the Primary Birthing Unit - Ōamaru click here

Social Work Services are available to assist people with health problems to access support services and look at options for themselves and their family.

We provide:

The Mobile Surgical Bus, a specially equipped mobile operating theatre, is hosted by Ōamaru Hospital on a 5-weekly interval and brings day surgery facilities to the people of Ōamaru.

This eliminates the need for Ōamaru patients to travel to main centres to receive low risk operations. The hospital currently has a surgeon, an orthopaedic surgeon and an ENT surgeon performing a range of day surgical procedures in the bus.

Patients stay in the hospital's recovery area for a minimum of four hours after their procedure and a hospital nurse contacts them the day following their discharge to monitor their recovery.

For more information about the Mobile Surgical Services please visit their website at Mobile Surgical Unit - Mobile Health

Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) is available to people with an age-related disability. This may enable access to Age-Related Disability Support Services funded by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Southern, which include:

The department operates between 8:30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. Our telephone number is (03) 433-0290 if you wish to speak to a Clinical Needs Assessor.

The Occupational Therapist's role is to optimise a person’s level of safety and independence within their own home. Occupational Therapists assess needs both in hospital and/or at home, considering all factors affecting their ability to manage daily activities.

Assessments include showering, bathing, dressing, household tasks, cognitive ability and mobility around the home. Occupational Therapists also provide education to help with the patient's ability to be independent on discharge from hospital and arrange the installation of necessary adaptive equipment that is required in their homes to enable people to remain independent, safe and in their own home.

If you have a long-term disability, a home visit may be required to assess the need for housing modifications or wheeled mobility and your eligibility for funding assistance to complete these.

You may be referred to the service either by the hospital inpatient ward, your GP or other health care professionals within the community.

The Physiotherapy service's ultimate aim is to help people achieve their optimum recovery and return of function.

We provide:

Conditions treated include respiratory, neurosurgical, musculoskeletal, orthopaedic and sports injuries.

Home visits are available for mobility assessments, e.g. walking frames and wheelchair assessments.

ACC patients can self-refer. Otherwise, a referral letter from your GP or other health professional is required.

Public Health (Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora - Southern regional service) provides:

We offer services of plain film Xray, Ultrasound and CT scans. The department operates from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday with an urgent service provided via the Emergency Department 24/7 for plain film X-rays and CT scans.

The department operates from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Urgent only services are provided after working hours. Direct Dial No: 03) 433 0261

Specified car parks and entrance to Radiology on Severn Street.

Smoking Cessation Clinics are held once a week.

Please see www.healthpoint.co.nz for a full list of Services.