There has been a surge in demand at Christchurch Hospital's emergency department.
The ED has seen around 30 more people flocking to the hospital each day in the past few weeks - 380 people were seen in one day recently.
In an update, the district health board said people should call their GP if they need help late at night and are not sure if they should go to the hospital.
The DHB said people should only go to the hospital in an emergency.