An artificial intelligence scribe tool will soon be deployed to 1,000 doctors and frontline staff in emergency departments nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced.
The technology, designed to reduce the time clinicians spend on paperwork, automatically records consultations and drafts clinical notes, referral letters, and follow-up summaries for doctors to review and confirm.
Brown said the initiative reflects the Government’s commitment to delivering “modern digital health infrastructure” that improves efficiency and patient care. “Too many doctors have told me that paperwork takes up too much of their day. This tool will help free them up to spend more time with patients—listening, diagnosing, and treating—rather than typing up notes,” he said.
Tailored to New Zealand’s clinical language and systems, the AI scribe “complies with privacy and data security standards” and has already proven successful in primary care trials. A pilot in Hawke’s Bay and Whanganui showed that doctors using the tool could see one additional patient per shift, leading to faster care and shorter wait times. Based on those results, Health New Zealand has purchased 1,000 licences for emergency departments across the country.
Brown said the rollout is part of a broader effort to embrace AI to strengthen the health workforce. “AI will never replace clinical skill or judgement, but it can support our people to do what they do best—provide timely, quality care,” he said, adding that digital innovation will continue to play a key role in improving access, efficiency, and outcomes across New Zealand’s health system.
Image credit: Vitaley Gariev
You can take all governments, along with their AI and shove it where the sun don’t shine.
Governments Keep Letting AI Make Decisions & It’s Already Going Wrong!
https://theexposenews.com/2025/10/26/governments-letting-ai-make-decisions-going-wrong/
….the AI scribe “complies with privacy and data security standards”….key role in improving access, efficiency, and outcomes across New Zealand’s health system…..
Health, Safety and Convenience. Your new happy straight jacket.
“Modern digital health structure” … in other words “we got whizzy new machines that help us write notes but we still havent got a clue how to make you healthy”.
Yes, let’s completely bugger the health system with lies, mismanagement and simple mindedness. Then spend millions on a corrupt valueless AI tool that is designed to cover a wound left thanks to over regulation. Muppets.
AI is not accurate. I went to a naturopath (whom I thought would be more on to it) and they had AI who after I left, wrote notes on what we talked about. I told the naturopath that it was inaccurate and not to use it when I was there.
Keep away from AI in any form.