Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand has enlisted UCLPartners, a London-based health innovation specialist, to support its digital transformation and AI adoption, including the rollout of AI scribes across emergency departments.
The agreement gives Te Whatu Ora access to independent expertise and lessons learned from the UK National Health Service, one of the world’s largest public health systems facing similar challenges. Sonny Taite, director of digital innovation and AI at Te Whatu Ora, said the main benefit is access to evidence from a health system confronting comparable pressures.
The partnership is structured as an evidence and learning collaboration rather than a product procurement deal. Taite emphasised that it does not commit Te Whatu Ora to purchasing or adopting any specific technologies. All trials and rollouts will continue to follow the organisation’s established clinical governance, safety and equity frameworks.
Horizon scanning work by UCLPartners gave Te Whatu Ora additional confidence as it rolled out AI scribes in emergency departments. The technology automatically generates clinical documentation from patient consultations, reducing administrative burden on clinicians.
UCLPartners chief executive Chris Laing noted that both health systems share many healthcare and health inequality challenges, making collaboration on shared approaches valuable. New Zealand’s health system has been actively pursuing digital transformation, with AI scribes representing one of several initiatives aimed at improving clinician efficiency and patient care.
