AI scribe rolled out to all hospital emergency departments, says Health Minister Simeon Brown

RNZ

28 Feb, 2026 01:49 AMQuick Read

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Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced that every hospital emergency department in the country now has access to the tool. Photo / RNZ, Mark Papalii

The Health Minister says a doctor using an artificial intelligence scribe tool is able to see, on average, one additional patient per shift.

Simeon Brown has announced every emergency department in the country now has access to the tool, which records consultations and generates
draft clinical notes, referral letters and follow-up summaries.

He claimed 80% of surveyed staff at Auckland’s Middlemore Emergency Department said it improved productivity or efficiency, while 84% said it had a positive impact on their overall experience and wellbeing during a shift.

“This places New Zealand among the fastest health systems in the world to move from pilot to nationwide frontline AI use in emergency departments, helping clinicians spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork,” Brown said.