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.
The maternity assessment units are midwife-led and provide care to women who have concerns during their pregnancy from 22 weeks onwards.
There are 2 assessment units in Canterbury, one for women who are 22 weeks pregnant and one for women who are 24 weeks pregnant.
To contact the unit, call 03 378 6410
Service hours are 7am to 10pm, 7 days a week.
Service hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm.
To contact the unit, call: 03 364 4272
The assessment unit (22 to 24 weeks) is at:
Ground floor
Parkside building
Christchurch Hospital
Riccarton Avenue
Christchurch
Come in the main doors of Christchurch Hospital and follow the signage to the unit.
The day assessment unit (from 24 weeks) is at:
Ground floor
Christchurch Women's Hospital
Riccarton Avenue
Christchurch
You can access it through the radiology department entrance (to the right of Christchurch Women's Hospital entrance). Your visit should always be pre-arranged.
If you are worried about your pēpi or yourself when you are pregnant your first point of contact for advice is your lead maternity carer. They will carry out the first assessment with you and may ask you to meet them at the maternity assessment unit if they think you should meet one of our midwives for a second opinion.
A midwife or your lead maternity carer can make a referral to an obstetrician or a doctor who works at Christchurch Women’s Hospital if required.
You will work with your lead maternity carer to make a plan. Our aim is for you to be seen and have a care plan in place within 3 hours.
Whānau are welcome to support you during your visit to the unit. If we are very busy or if you need to have more time for observation or care this will take longer. We will discuss with you at the time.
Once you have been assessed, if you and your pēpi are well you will be able to go home. If your plan is for more monitoring, or if you need to be, it will either be to a birthing suite or to the maternity ward, whichever is best for you.
If your lead maternity carer thinks that you need extra monitoring during pregnancy, you will be sent to our day assessment unit for increased monitoring.
You can stay at home while receiving care and attend appointments at the hospital. You should bring your pregnancy notes with you on every visit. You will be assessed and treated by midwives or referred to an obstetrician if necessary. The unit contains 3 lazy boy chairs.
Your first point of contact for general enquiries and advice about your pregnancy is your lead maternity carer.
Your lead maternity carer can refer you to these units if they think you need a second opinion or extra monitoring.
