Minister launches 10-year Health Digital Investment Plan and Centre for Digital Modernisation

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth 

The Health Minister has launched a 10-year Health Digital Investment Plan, signalling investments in a single Electronic Medical Record, remote patient monitoring, radiology and cybersecurity.

Speaking at Digital Health Week in Christchurch on 25 November, Simeon Brown also announced the creation of a Centre for Digital Modernisation of Health to deliver the plan.

The centre is a collaboration between Health New Zealand and delivery partners that brings together global innovation capabilities, artificial intelligence expertise and process engineering to coordinate large-scale digital transformation programmes.

Brown said 65 per cent of hospitals in Aotearoa still use paper-based notes and 85 per cent of digital systems cannot share information properly.

"Right now Health New Zealand has around 6,000 data and digital systems, that is one for every 15 staff members," he told conference attendees. 

"That is the result of years of underinvestment, quick fixes instead of proper planning, which drives significant inefficiency across our health system."

The Minister said that investments will be made in a single Electronic Medical Record system across the health sector, enabling medical information to flow seamlessly and securely between GPs, specialists, and hospitals. 

Also, funding for remote patient monitoring to support earlier discharge, a national radiology system to prioritise urgent cases, and stronger cybersecurity to protect patient information.
Health New Zealand will release a procurement notice on GETS alongside the announcement regarding its investment plans.

"This is a completely new approach for Health New Zealand, tackling the kind of large, complex programmes that have failed in the past when governments have tried to do them alone," Brown said.

The centre will design investment cases for government consideration and drive delivery. It will include an AI Innovation group and a digital academy to build capability across the health workforce.

The 10-year investment pipeline will be delivered in three phases: stabilising critical systems so clinicians can rely on their tools, modernising platforms to improve efficiency, and enabling innovative care models that put patients first, he said.

Initial investments will focus on basic technology infrastructure, including faster network connectivity, properly functioning devices, single login systems to replace multiple passwords, and improved data security and cyber protection.

The organisation is already upgrading Wi-Fi and increasing device capability and availability to support the digital tools.

"This is not a plan written by consultants in Wellington, it has been written by doctors, nurses and allied health professionals who have told us what is needed to deliver better care," he said.

"We need to build a system which is focused on patients, on outcomes accountability, and we need to make sure we have the right technology to allow us to do that.”

Image: Health Minister Simeon Brown speaking at Digital Health Week NZ

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