The Real Problem
It's 9:17pm on a Tuesday in Papakura. Sarah, a mum of two, has just moved to the area and her four-year-old has been running a temperature all day. She's not sure if it warrants an after-hours clinic visit or if she can wait until morning — but more immediately, she needs to find a GP practice that's actually accepting new patients.
She opens Google, finds three practices nearby, and clicks through to their websites. One hasn't been updated since 2021. Another lists a phone number and opening hours — 8:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. The third has a "New Patients" page that says "please call reception to enquire about availability."
It's 9pm. Nobody is answering.
This is not an edge case. Research shows 25.7% of New Zealand adults report being unable to see a GP in a timely manner. Meanwhile, 72% of New Zealanders search health topics online before visiting a practitioner. They're looking for answers on practice websites that were never designed to give them.
Sarah's questions are entirely non-clinical: Is this practice open to new enrolments? What do I need to bring? How much does a standard consultation cost? Do you bulk-bill under 14s? Can I book online? These are front-desk questions — but the front desk closed four hours ago.
Why Existing Tools Don't Solve This
Medtech Evolution, used by 75–80% of GP practices in New Zealand, is a clinical management system. It handles patient records, prescriptions, and lab results. It does not interact with website visitors.
ManageMyHealth, with 1.85 million registered users, provides a patient portal for existing enrolled patients — online booking, repeat prescriptions, and secure messaging. But it requires the patient to already be enrolled. A prospective patient visiting the website for the first time has no access to it.
Practice websites themselves are typically static brochure sites built years ago. They list services, hours, and a phone number. There is no mechanism for a visitor to ask a question and get an immediate answer outside business hours.
How AI Solves This
An AI chatbot — deployed via OpenClaw on the practice website — sits in the bottom-right corner and responds to visitor questions 24/7. It is pre-loaded with practice-specific information: enrolment status, fees schedule, opening hours, services offered, parking instructions, what documents to bring for a first visit, and how to access after-hours care.
When Sarah lands on the website at 9pm, the chatbot greets her:
"Hi, welcome to Papakura Family Health. I can help with questions about our services, enrolment, fees, and hours. How can I help tonight?"
Sarah types: "Are you taking new patients?"
"Yes, we're currently accepting new enrolments. You'll need to bring a form of ID and your NHI number if you have one. You can download the enrolment form from our website or fill it in when you arrive. Would you like the link?"
No clinical advice. No triage. Just the same information the receptionist would provide — available when the receptionist isn't.
The Result
- Website visitors get instant answers to routine questions, day or night
- Prospective patients can confirm enrolment availability without calling
- Reception staff handle fewer repetitive phone enquiries during peak hours
- The practice captures interest from patients who would otherwise move on to the next Google result
- Every chatbot interaction is logged for the practice to review
What AI Can't Do Here
This chatbot does not provide clinical advice, symptom assessment, diagnosis, or triage. It does not access patient records, Medtech Evolution, or any clinical system. It cannot book appointments on behalf of patients or make changes to medical records.
For urgent health concerns, the chatbot directs users to Healthline (0800 611 116), their nearest after-hours clinic, or 111 for emergencies. All interactions comply with the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 — no personal health information is collected or stored by the chatbot.
BestAI does not compete with clinical AI tools like Heidi Health or iMedX, which are formally endorsed by Te Whatu Ora for clinical documentation. This is a front-desk tool, not a clinical one.
Who This Is For
GP practices, medical centres, and primary care clinics in New Zealand — particularly those currently closed to after-hours enquiries, receiving high volumes of "are you accepting new patients?" calls, or operating with a static website that doesn't serve prospective patients.