AI scribe rolled out to EDs nationwide

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth 

An artificial intelligence medical scribe is being rolled out to 1,000 doctors and frontline staff working in emergency departments across New Zealand.

The AI -powered technology securely records consultations and automatically creates draft clinical notes, referral letters, and follow-up summaries, which doctors then review and confirm.

Health Minister Simeon Brown say the tool allows doctors to spend more time interacting directly with patients while it captures consultation details, helping to ensure nothing important is missed, and leading to more consistent follow-up care.

"Too many doctors have told me that paperwork and documentation take up too much of their day,” the Minister says.

A successful pilot programme in Hawke's Bay and Whanganui demonstrated the benefits of the technology for both doctors and patients. 

“Doctors using the AI tool were able to see, on average, one additional patient per shift because of the time saved. That means faster care for patients and less waiting time in emergency departments,” Brown says.

“Based on this success, Health New Zealand has purchased an initial 1000 licences for frontline staff in emergency departments, enabling its nationwide rollout.”

The Hawke's Bay emergency department pilot involved 10 clinicians across two months using the Heidi AI scribe and showed significant productivity gains alongside improvements in staff wellbeing. 

Chief medical officer Benjamin Pearson told eHealthNews the results exceeded expectations.

"We have seen a significant improvement with on average, an extra patient per shift seen by each clinician," Pearson said. 

"Particularly the resident medical officers and our nurse practitioners, who in some cases are seeing an extra three or four per shift.”

Nurse practitioners reported being able to take proper tea room breaks for the first time and the AI tool improved documentation in resuscitation situations, where it records timestamps and captures all conversations happening during critical care.

"The average medical registrar, when they come to ED, takes 40 minutes to see a patient and then another 30 - 40 minutes to write the plan. Heidi potentially could zap that right down to 5-10 minutes," said Pearson.

Brown says Health New Zealand will continue exploring other ways AI and digital technology can help improve care and make the health system work better for patients.

"We need to embrace AI as a way to maximise our health workforce, giving clinicians tools that save time, reduce pressure, and allow them to spend more time with patients," Brown says.

As part of this drive, Health NZ has appointed Sonny Taite as director innovation and AI (acting) and created a new programme called HealthX, to identify and implement AI-driven solutions to healthcare challenges across the motu.

Brown says the AI scribe tool is tailored to New Zealand's clinical language and systems, meets all privacy requirements, and includes strong security protections to keep patient information safe. 

Heidi is already being used successfully in some primary care settings, so patients may have experienced it during appointments with their GP.

Pearson and emergency department clinical director Simon Harger will present the full results of the Hawke’s Bay AI scribe pilot at Digital Health Week 2025 in Ōtautahi Christchurch from 24-27 November 2025. 

Image: Minister of Health Simeon Brown

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