‘Ask Healthpoint’ launches to help
New Zealanders find health services faster
POSTED JUNE 30, 2026
Today Healthpoint has launched Ask Healthpoint, New Zealand’s health system navigation tool – your simple way to navigate health services, now powered by AI. It lets people describe what they need in their own words and receive clear, trusted, local service options – in the language they are most comfortable with.
“It is one of the first of its kind. It’s built to search through the trusted national health data on Healthpoint. It has been rigorously tested by both end users and service providers over the past 12 months. It is free, available now, and can be used in multiple languages”
Healthpoint Chief Executive Kate Rhind says.
Matt Doocey, Associate Minister of Health and Minister for Mental Health, says:
“Often, the first step in seeking support is the hardest. Many people don’t know where to start, and it can feel overwhelming. With an accessible tool that Kiwis can access that clearly shows them what’s available in their area, we can ensure more people get the support they need.”
“Not knowing where to go or who to talk to has been reported as the reason for unmet mental health needs in one third of children and more than a quarter of adults. This new platform will help remove those barriers and guide people to the right support.”
Otara GP, Dr Harley Aish says:
“If you’re not familiar with the health system, it can be hard to know where to start. Ask Healthpoint gets people to the right service, in plain language or their first language, so more people can connect with the care that’s right for them.”
Tiaki Whānau Ltd, not for profit charitable community service, spokesperson and co-founder Hera says:
“I’m actually excited to recommend that we move forward with this opportunity of sharing Ask Healthpoint with our whānau we deal with. I do hope and believe that Healthpoint AI will be that bridge to connect our people with these services they need.”
“Ask Healthpoint is a navigation tool, not a replacement for your doctor, nurse, or helpline. Its goal is to make it even simpler to find a health service that can help you, no matter the time of day, no matter the type of health concern, even if you don’t understand medical terms or English isn’t your first language,” Ms Rhind says. “A person could simply say or type something like “I have a sore ear” and Ask Healthpoint will provide available options in the area. They’ll be able to see how the health services interact and relate to each other.”
“Built with input from health professionals, consumer voices, & Healthline call taker staff. Ask Healthpoint was developed over 12 months with 25 rounds of testing across a comprehensive test set. It included real world scenarios to make sure it consistently points people to the right types of services and shows clear ‘get help now’ prompts when urgent support is needed.
“Given data security is paramount in a technology-driven world, Ask Healthpoint has also been heavily tested by independent security experts, in ways a real attacker would, to ensure it is as robust as possible. We’re confident Ask Healthpoint will assist the country’s drive towards better, faster and seamless access to all health services. 22 years of Healthpoint directory expertise underpins this innovation and Ask Healthpoint will continue to evolve,” Ms Rhind says.
Editor’s Notes
1. Ask Healthpoint is New Zealand’s first use of international health data standards* in a public-facing health service AI navigation tool.
* FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) and SNOMED CT (Systematized Medical Nomenclature for Medicine–Clinical Terminology) are complementary standards used together to exchange and understand clinical health information.
2. Ask Healthpoint was developed over nearly 12 months with 25 rounds of testing, across 600 real world test scenarios. During the external testing we worked with Whakarongorau (National Telehealth Service), Healthify, and WOVEN Consumer Advisory Group.” It was designed for and tested specifically against some of the most sensitive health domains including mental health and emergency care. The Healthpoint Safety and Security Layer underpins Ask Healthpoint’s operations and draws on deep expertise in secure AI system design across highly regulated sectors, including banking, insurance, and health.
3. No personal information is held or retained. We do not ask for names or personal details. If a user shares personal details, the system removes them. Conversations are encrypted. The tool complies with the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020. After a discussion ends, conversations are kept in non-identifiable form for up to 90 days for safety and quality review, then permanently deleted.
4. Healthpoint operates New Zealand’s national health services directory, profiling 12,000 public, private, and NGO services with more than 500,000 web pages of information. Approximately 8% of all New Zealanders visit Healthpoint each month over 440,000 unique visitors and 1.4 million page views. The directory is maintained by 8,500 service editors and supports national programmes across immunisation, screening, mental health, and the National Telehealth Service.
5. Healthpoint believes in investing in R&D. It apportions a considerable amount of revenues into building, maintaining, securing, improving, and innovating its health services, including the ‘first of its kind’ in the NZ health sector our Ask Healthpoint, New Zealand’s first nationally deployed, AI-assisted health service navigation tool, to benefit the lives of New Zealanders.
6. Kate Rhind is the founder and CEO of Healthpoint Limited, bringing broad experience in digital health innovation across New Zealand and Australia. Her work spans health informatics, cloud technology, patient engagement, and strategic partnerships, with a focus on ethical, people-centred digital health solutions.
Learn more about Ask Healthpoint
Find out how Ask Healthpoint combines Healthpoint’s trusted national health directory with AI to make health service navigation simpler, faster and more accessible. Learn more