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Whakarongorau to launch Azure AI service
Whakarongorau Aotearoa (New Zealand Telehealth Services) will launch a Microsoft Azure AI-powered Welcome service in May to support people waiting to connect with healthcare staff.
The service will first be used for SMS contacts to the national mental health helpline, 1737 Need to talk?, and for Women's Refuge webchat, where it will identify itself as AI, collect background information, check in with users, and offer non-clinical support before a trained staff member joins the conversation.
According to a media release, the upcoming service is part of Whakarongorau's wider Microsoft-backed digital transformation, which includes migration to Microsoft's New Zealand data centre region, Microsoft Fabric reporting, workflow tools, a planned Healthline GP connection system, and AI assistants for staff guidance.
UQ trials aphasia therapy telehealth
University of Queensland researchers have launched a study to test an intensive aphasia rehabilitation program delivered by telehealth for people in rural and remote Queensland.
The eight-week Comprehensive High-dose Aphasia Treatment (CHAT) program will recruit about 15 post-stroke aphasia patients over 12 months and is being delivered with the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service at Metro North Health through clinicians in the Herston Health Precinct.
Based on a media statement, the TeleCHAT Implementation Study builds on earlier Queensland Aphasia Research Centre pilot work from 2021 to 2023, where about 90% of CHAT participants improved in communication, confidence, and quality of life.
Te Whatu Ora funds pharmacy online GP consults
Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand has sought applications from community pharmacies that would like to receive funding to deliver online general practice consultations.
Based on a now-closed tender, selected pharmacies will receive support to set up private, digitally enabled spaces where patients can consult a GP online. It is part of the 2025/26 National Annual Agreement Review focused on improving primary care access for people who face barriers to accessing or enrolling with a general practice.
