New Zealand Telehealth Services marks 10 years of connecting people and whānau to care - transforming how New Zealanders access care.

The end of the year is a great time for reflection. Whakarongorau has been reflecting on an even bigger milestone - 10 years!

Whakarongorau is celebrating 10 years of delivering national telehealth services in partnership with Health NZ and 20+ partners across the motu.-

They have built a safety net of health, mental wellbeing, and social support services, that are free and available 24/7 for all New Zealanders, via phone, text, web chat and digital hubs.

Across those 10 years, Whakarongorau has supported approximately 6.7 million health journeys, with annual contacts growing from around 400,000 in 2015, to nearly 650,000 in 2025.

This has transformed how New Zealanders access care.

Telehealth's role as a system safety-net is clear: 87% of contacts are diverted from ED/111, 75% of mental health needs are met at first contact, over half of mental health support is delivered digitally, and 98% of people follow the clinical advice they are given.

"This anniversary is a partnership achievement," says Glynis Sandland, CEO of Whakarongorau Aotearoa.

"Together with Health NZ and our partners, we've built essential national infrastructure that helps people get help and information when they need it, and that supports the wider health system."

"Whakarongorau is now focussed on the next decade of innovation. We're working on AI-enabled tools that support clinicians, omni-channel access, and readiness for new digital pathways - all backed by robust clinical governance." says Sandland.

"These future focused developments will help ensure Whakarongorau continues to evolve as Aotearoa's leading triage, prevention, and wellbeing provider."