Health NZ signals $100m overhaul of radiology systems

Health NZ is preparing to go to market for up to $100 million of technology as part of plans to create a national integrated radiology service, including a national image archive and platform for integrating AI applications.

A future procurement opportunity published on the Government Electronic Tender Service (GETS) outlines plans to procure four national capabilities under Health NZ’s Radiology Modernisation Programme.

They include an enterprise imaging integration layer, integrated reporting environment, national image archive and imaging AI orchestration platform.

The systems are intended to replace fragmented regional systems and enable a single connected radiology service, with standardised workflows and improved data sharing across the country.

The procurement has an indicative price tag of between $50 million and $100 million, with Health NZ intending to go to market in late August or early September – subject to approval of the programme business case.

The four capabilities will be procured through a single process, with suppliers able to bid for all or selected components.

A fifth capability, a National Radiology Information System (RIS), will be procured separately at a later date.

The enterprise imaging integration layer is intended to act as a national imaging data exchange platform, while the integrated reporting environment could include reporting worklists, PACS and voice-recognition reporting.

The national image archive would provide long-term imaging data storage and clinical access through a web-based viewer, while the AI orchestration capability would broker data to and from AI applications.

Health NZ says the capabilities will work together to enable standardised workflows, improved data sharing and better clinical decision making across all regions.

Radiology modernisation is one of the priority projects under the 10-year Health Digital Investment Plan (HDIP), which received $300 million over three years in Budget 2026.

That funding would support the first three years of the plan, including replacing ageing devices, modernising radiology systems and upgrading core IT platforms.