NZ Health Group processes 2 million calls using AI-Powered contact centre

NEWS  - eHealthNews editor Rebecca McBeth

Home and community care provider New Zealand Health Group has implemented automation and AI into its service centres that process over 2 million calls annually. 

An AI-powered triage system has eliminated a daily backlog of 600 emails and reduced roster change processing times from 15 minutes to near-instant handling. 

Chief digital officer Peter Radich says the organisation's AI programme has transformed operations across multiple service areas while maintaining human oversight and choice for clients. 

New Zealand Health Group operates several well-known brands, including Geneva Healthcare and Healthcare New Zealand, supporting around 10,000 community workers across the country who provide care for people we support. 

The service centres implementation includes real-time call analysis and transcription. When clients call, the system displays their details and next appointment times while analysing, transcribing and summarising the conversations. 

"A human checks the summary before it enters the system, we do not let anybody just automatically accept what the AI generates," Radich says. 

The system has identified patterns in call types and found that a number involve simple appointment confirmations. 

He says this has enabled the organisation to use AI to give people a choice: either wait to speak to a person or choose to talk to the AI, which can tell you instantly when your appointment is. 

This approach has reduced wait times while improving customer service, explains Radich. 

The system also handles the large volume of referrals from ACC, automating data ingestion to improve accuracy while eliminating manual data entry tasks. 

Radich says it is critical to measure the return on investment for AI implementations, as well as measuring the value of all their technology investments. 

NZ Health Group’s approach is based on choice and consent for clients and on optimising rather than replacing the human workforce, he says.

Image: New Zealand Health Group chief digital officer Peter Radich

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