Health NZ defines long-term digital investment principles

NEWS - eHealthNews editor Rebecca McBeth

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora has set out its digital investment principals over the next ten years as part of its Digital Infrastructure Investment Plan.

The plan has not been publicly released, but acting director strategy and investment Jean Fleming and strategic solutions manager Lance Elder presented on it at Digital Health Week in Hamilton in December.

The 10-year plan aims to align digital and physical infrastructure and healthcare service delivery to create a more cohesive and efficient system and feeds into a wider infrastructure roadmap, expected be ready early this year.

Fleming said it was important to plan for the long-term, despite current financial constraints. 

She said that previously the organisation looked at capital in three formats—physical infrastructure, health technology, and digital infrastructure—but is now coming together to build a ten-year integrated planning view.

Fleming said that failing to incorporate digital planning into new projects would only lead to ongoing technical debt.

 “We see a core opportunity to correct past challenges while allowing flexibility for future needs,” she said.
Key principles are; to prioritise investment on initiatives that will contribute to achieving HNZ’s health targets, and a focus on clinical quality and safety.

Aligning to the wider organisation’s clinical, service and business priorities and delivering regional outcomes through ‘scalable and reusable digital capabilities’.

HNZ’s preferred approach is to partner with industry, with a preference for ‘as a Service’ offering, and it is also looking to move to fewer modern capabilities.

Elder said the plan is a framework to indicate how Health NZ will invest over the years, rather than focusing solely on individual business cases or products.

He told the conference that while digital progress has been made, there is still a need to break down silos and address inequalities across regions. 

“We want to tell the story of how digital investment is not just about back-office systems but about integrating digital experiences into everyday healthcare delivery,” he said.

Health New Zealand’s digital plan also incorporates emerging technologies like AI, ensuring they are embedded within healthcare delivery rather than treated as standalone investments.

Image: Acting director strategy and investment Jean Fleming presenting at Digital Health Week in Hamilton in December.

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