KPMG & Hippocratic AI join forces to tackle healthcare shortages
The healthcare sector around the world is currently facing workforce shortages, with estimates indicating a gap of approximately 10 million health workers projected by 2030. This shortage is contributing to increased pressure on existing staff and causing backlogs in healthcare delivery. To address these challenges, KPMG and Hippocratic AI are working together to deploy generative AI agents capable of performing non-diagnostic, patient-facing clinical tasks.
Hippocratic AI, a company known for its development of generative AI healthcare agents, provides conversational agents that interact naturally with patients. These AI agents are designed to understand and respond in a contextually appropriate, human-like manner. By managing a variety of clinical workflows, including patient intake and post-care follow-up calls, the agents aim to free up healthcare providers' time, allowing more focus on direct patient care.
KPMG's participation involves broad process analyses within healthcare organisations to identify operational bottlenecks. These studies seek to identify high-pressure points and pinpoint opportunities where AI can effectively augment existing staff. In addition to workforce upskilling, KPMG is also engaged in strategic planning for the deployment of AI technologies across the care continuum, aiming to improve productivity and patient outcomes while minimising disruption.
Hippocratic AI's technology utilises its proprietary Polaris Constellation architecture, featuring large language models tailored to healthcare applications. According to the company, its generative AI agents have already completed more than 2.49 million patient calls, achieving an average patient satisfaction rating of 8.95 out of 10. These agents operate around the clock and can be scaled to meet demand, supporting healthcare professionals by handling communications that do not require clinical judgments or diagnoses.
Emphasising the importance of purpose and alignment in this collaboration, Munjal Shah, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hippocratic AI, stated: "Hippocratic AI's collaboration with KPMG is deeply aligned in purpose and vision. Their holistic approach to digital and clinical transformation focuses on improving patient outcomes and optimising healthcare efficiency. We appreciate their commitment to driving meaningful impact across the entire care journey with generative AI, while preserving the human touch of clinicians and the integrity of healthcare operations."
Dr. Anna van Poucke, KPMG Global Healthcare Leader, highlighted the growing challenge presented by healthcare workforce shortages as societies age. She commented: "As societies age, we are facing a critical healthcare workforce shortage that endangers the continuity of care. Hippocratic AI's generative AI healthcare agents can address such risks, however, to unlock their full value, a coherent and robust approach is needed to transform operational processes and upskill and empower clinical staff so the human workforce and their AI agent colleagues can operate in concert."
Munjal Shah also remarked on the global applicability of Hippocratic AI's solutions, noting: "We have always thought that Hippocratic AI could benefit all sectors of healthcare worldwide and the tremendous success of the launch of our Gen AI agents among North American healthcare providers, clinicians, and patients, as well as our recent announcements in the UAE, Japan, and UK are strong indicators that we are on that path."
A recent digital oncology solution supported by KPMG achieved a 50% increase in patient satisfaction, a 27% decrease in staff workloads, and a 78% increase in staff satisfaction, according to figures provided in the announcement. These results suggest measurable operational improvements when AI solutions are integrated into clinical practice and organisational workflows.
The focus of the KPMG and Hippocratic AI joint initiative remains on deploying AI in ways that support healthcare professionals, relieve operational pressure, and maintain the quality and safety of patient care.
Follow us on:
Share on:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Spinoff
04-08-2025
- The Spinoff
Windbag: The clown car of candidates vying to be Wellington's next mayor
Twelve candidates – including at least one actual clown – have put up their hands for the worst job in local politics. As the clock struck noon on Friday, August 1, the candidate nominations closed for the Wellington mayoral race. The capital entered a new era. The transition of power has begun. By October 11 (or October 16 if it's a really close race), the capital will have a new overlord. A new man or woman will seize the chains of power – and with it, the ability to grant the key to the city to any cat they choose. There are 12 candidates in the race, ranging from very serious to not serious at all. This is my rough attempt to sort them into tiers. Serious candidates Andrew Little You know him, you love him (or more realistically, have no particularly strong feelings about him)… It's Andrew Little. The former Labour Party leader and senior cabinet minister under the Ardern government is by far the most credible and experienced candidate in the race. He has left-wing bona fides but a conservative temperament. He's unlikely to propose any game-changing reforms, but he's a steady hand who promises stability. He's announced policies to introduce a weekly cap on bus and train fares, committed to funding community facilities, and proposed some boring-but-sensible rules to make council decisions more transparent. Alex Baker Pitches himself as a Green-aligned candidate with a free-market approach to housing policy and business regulation. A former director of sustainability at Kāinga Ora and a chartered accountant at KPMG, he has solid back-room experience, but this is his first time seeking public office. He's pushing a switch to land value rates and cuts to commercial rates. He wants more bike lanes and bus lanes, further reforms to encourage high-density housing development, and an overall focus on growing the city's population. Diane Calvert A third-term city councillor, Diane Calvert entered the race after Ray Chung's campaign self-destructed, and immediately became the most credible candidate on the centre-right. She typically takes fiscally conservative stances and is a fan of more extensive community consultation on most council decisions. She has generally opposed bike lanes and the Golden Mile, and supported community projects in her Wharangi/Onslow-Western ward, such as the Khandallah Pool and Karori Event Centre. Her campaign policies so far are based around a 'back-to-basics' approach, with lower council expenditure, more regional collaboration with other councils, and a focus on suburban voices. Karl Tiefenbacher The founder of the Kaffe Eis ice cream chain and former banker has run twice unsuccessfully in Pukehīnau/Lambton ward. This year, he's seeking the mayoralty as well as running in Motukairangi/Eastern ward, which should be more receptive to his centre-right views. He's become a regular attendee at council meetings, and his opinion pieces on Scoop show a good grasp of council functions (which in this race is saying a lot). He's campaigning on reduced spending, cutting cycleways, and reforms to encourage faster housing consents and to incentivise the growth of the tech sector. Unserious candidates (who think they're serious) Ray Chung A few months ago, Ray Chung was the highest-polling candidate. Then his campaign blew up with the emergence of tawdry emails he'd written about the mayor, which he repeated in live radio interviews. He handled the backlash ineptly and candidates started fleeing his ticket so fast that Independent Together became Independent Not Together. He's campaigning on zero rates increases but has not provided any numbers to show how he would do that. Ray Chung has never been fit for office Rob Goulden Goulden was a Wellington City Councillor for four terms from 1998-2010. According to reporting by Stuff in 2009, he was accused of being 'too combative, too aggressive, too intimidating' and was eventually trespassed from the council offices. Then mayor Kerry Prendergast said councillors were concerned by 'his increasingly erratic behaviour and his mood swings' and '[Some of the] women staff will not meet with him one-to-one.' Then-councillor John Morrison, a former political ally, said he was 'unfit for public office'. Goulden is running on a fiscally conservative platform, but no one is paying much attention to him. Kelvin Hastie Came a distant sixth in the 2022 mayoral election and is running again despite doing little to grow his profile in the intervening years. Describes himself as a ' predator-free hero ' and ' community champion '. Has promoted some ambitious but questionable policies, including a six-lane tunnel underneath the CBD, a roof on Sky Stadium, and selling the council's social housing to first home buyers. Joan Shi Previously ran in the Pukehīnau/Lambton ward byelection, during which she seemed well-intentioned but didn't have a particularly strong grasp of the issues. Says she wants to fix the pipes, cut rates, and make public transport cheaper. Donald 'Newt' McDonald A beloved figure on local Facebook groups and a star guest on Guy Williams' New Zealand Today podcast. McDonald has some big ideas for how to fix the city. Unfortunately, most people struggle to understand what he is trying to say. Unserious candidates (who know they're unserious) William Pennywize (Pennywize the Rewilding Clown) Wants to turn the Basin Reserve into a swamp, repopulate the Golden Mile with moa, and use genetically enhanced tuna as the foundation for a new public transport network. Josh Harford (Aotearoa New Zealand Silly Hat Party) Campaigning on subsidised pizza delivery, publicly accessible cows, a lazy river on Courtenay Place, anti-rain dances to keep the sky sunny, a legally enforced no-hat-no-play policy, and mandatory optimism. Scott Caldwell Founder of the Scoot Foundation, which, depending on who you ask, is either a shadowy global cabal of Yimbys whose power and influence rivals the Atlas Network, or a Twitter account that he runs. He's a spokesperson for the Coalition for More Homes and is a genuine expert on housing density and infrastructure. There's just one problem: he lives in Auckland, and according to The Spinoff's sources, has only been to Wellington once.
NZ Herald
01-08-2025
- NZ Herald
Wellington mayoral race: Who's in and who's out as candidates confirmed
Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Alex Baker Independent Alex Baker is running for Wellington Mayor. Photo / Baker is a former KPMG chartered accountant and most recently worked as a sustainability director at Kāinga Ora. He is also running in the Motukairangi Eastern Ward where he lives with his young family. What are your top three priorities for Wellington if elected? 'Affordability, jobs and sustainability.' How would you describe your politics in one sentence? 'I want to deliver the positive, social outcomes Wellingtonians want, while applying the strong, pragmatic financial management we need.' What do you make of the Wellington mayoral race so far? 'Fairly negative and a beatdown on the city, I want my campaign to bring some positivity to how Wellingtonians feel about the future.' Baker said he is 'largely self-funding' his campaign with some financial support from friends and family. He plans to spend $40,000 on the campaign. Andrew Little Labour Party Former Labour Party leader Andrew Little is running for the Wellington mayoralty. Photo / supplied. Little is a former Labour Party leader and Cabinet Minister. He left Parliament in 2023 and is currently working as a lawyer. He is a long-time Island Bay resident and is not running for a ward seat. What are your top three priorities for Wellington if elected? 'Getting a firmer grip on council spending to keep rates down and free up money to invest in community facilities such as swimming pools and libraries. 'Making our city more affordable by accelerating housing development and making public transport cheaper and more reliable. 'Making the council more transparent and accountable, with community feedback front and centre when decisions are made.' How would you describe your politics in one sentence? 'Progressive, pragmatic left.' What do you make of the Wellington mayoral race so far? 'My campaign so far has been about connecting with Wellingtonians at a grassroots level through stakeholder meetings, one-on-one meetings with community and business leaders and meeting with people in their communities and on their doorsteps. I am hearing incredible stories, dreams and ambitions from people who want a council to listen and work with them.' Little said he plans to spend close to the $60,000 limit in place during the three months leading up to the election. He has committed to releasing a full account of all donations over the $1500 disclosure limit before voting begins. Candidates are only required to do this after voting. He has not publicly disclosed any major backers but a spokesman for his campaign confirmed that Jacinda Ardern had been in touch and 'wished him well'. Ardern would not comment on Little's run. Diane Calvert Independent Wellington City councillor Diane Calvert. Photo / Mark Mitchell Calvert is a third-term Wellington City councillor standing again for a Wharangi Onslow Western ward seat. Born in Liverpool, Britain, she previously ran for the mayoralty in 2019, placing third with 13.8% of the vote. This term, she has advocated for the Khandallah swimming pool to be saved and spoken out against the cycleway rollout. What are your top three priorities for Wellington if elected? 'Reset the Budget, Respect the Ratepayer – get spending under control. 'Get the Basics Right—fix our roads, rubbish, and public spaces. 'Rebuild Trust—a Council that listens, engages, and delivers. 'Backing local business, building and bold ideas -cut the red tape and streamline processes. 'Restoring a Council that listens, engages, and delivers – build back public confidence in the council's ability to deliver what Wellingtonians want." How would you describe your politics in one sentence? 'I'm a pragmatic moderate and not aligned with any party or political group.' What do you make of the Wellington mayoral race so far? 'It's a crowded and diverse field, but with my entry, I hope we shift the focus of the debate to real workable solutions for the city's challenges.' Calvert said she plans to run a 'lean, no-frills campaign', spending only what she raises from donations. She said she would only declare donations after the election as required. Donald McDonald Mcdone waiting 2coming terms Passover Donald McDonald is running for the Wellington mayoralty again. McDonald, also known as Donald Newtown McDonald or Don Newt, has run for Wellington mayor a number of times. He is known in the capital for his cryptic social media posts on community Facebook page Vic Deals and is said to hold the record for filing the most complaints with the Broadcasting Standards Authority. He did not respond to the Herald's questions about his campaign. Joan Shi Independent Joan Shi. Photo / Wellington City Council. Shi ran unsuccessfully in the council's Pukehīnau Lambton Ward by-election last year. She describes herself as an immigrant single mum of two. What are your top three priorities for Wellington if elected? 'Prioritise council spending on core infrastructure and essential services for the community, especially repairing and replacing aging, leaking pipes. 'Provide better and more affordable public transportation. 'Nurturing a business-friendly environment so that Wellington's business can thrive.' How would you describe your politics in one sentence? 'I am listening and ready to solve the problems facing our city.' What do you make of the Wellington mayoral race so far? 'Surprise, surprise, surprise!' Shi said she is her own backer and doesn't intend to spend much on her campaign as she is currently unemployed. Josh Harford Silly Hat Party Josh Harford of the Silly Hat Party is running for the Wellington mayoralty. Harford says he has lived in Wellington all his life and believes the council 'needs less jesting and more Joshing'. What are your top three priorities for Wellington if elected? 'Urgently improving Wellington's weather; Mandating optimism throughout the City Council; Installing a lazy river on Courtney Place.' How would you describe your politics in one sentence? 'Neither left nor right wing, but rather highly serious with two wings.' What do you make of the Wellington mayoral race so far? 'Unfortunately, there are a number of very silly candidates clogging up this race. Serious contenders such as myself and William Pennywize are often drowned out by the bizarre ramblings of Ray Chung, Andrew Little, Karl Teifenbacher and the others.' Harford plans to spend no more than a few hundred dollars on his campaign as he has not received any donations. Karl Tiefenbacher Independent Karl Tiefenbacher serving an ice cream at Kaffee Eis on the Wellington waterfront. Photo / Mark Mitchel Karl Tiefenbacher owns the Wellington coffee and gelato chain Kaffee Eis. Tiefenbacher lives in the CBD but is also running for a Motukairangi Eastern Ward seat. He has previously run for a council seat twice and lost. What are your top three priorities for Wellington if elected? 'Better value from council for Wellingtonians. 'A 'yes' council that supports businesses and drives employment opportunities and vibrancy. 'Rebuilding confidence and pride in our city by ensuring transparency in everything the council does.' How would you describe your politics in one sentence? 'I believe in commonsense centrist policies that support the majority and allows the city to thrive.' What do you make of the Wellington mayoral race so far? 'There has been too much focus on political game playing and not enough on the policies that will turn our city around.' Tiefenbacher is boasting several anonymous 'passionate Wellingtonian backers' who have financially supported his campaign, although he said it is 'largely self-funded'. He plans to spend about $40,000. Kelvin Hastie Independent Wellington mayoral candidate Kelvin Hastie speaking at an event. Kelvin Hastie describes himself as a 'predator free champion' for his conservation work. He ran for the mayoralty in 2022 and placed sixth with 2208 votes. What are your top three priorities for Wellington if elected? 'Pausing High‑Impact Projects & Re-Consulting Infrastructure Plans- pausing major projects—including the Golden Mile redevelopment, the city composting scheme, and the City-to-Sea bridge demolition—so they can be reassessed with fresh consultation. 'Rate Relief via Governance Reform and Regional Amalgamation - reducing rates by amalgamating Wellington with nearby councils (Porirua, Hutt City, Upper Hutt), aiming to eliminate duplication, streamline services, and bring down the cost burden on ratepayers. 'Strategic Social Housing Renewal - a partnership with central government to radically modernise Wellington's social housing stock. Rather than pouring money into aging homes, I want to demolish obsolete properties, offer viable units to first-home buyers, and use proceeds from surplus land for building new, energy-efficient, resilient public housing tailored to today's standards.' How would you describe your politics in one sentence? 'My political outlook is independent, grounded in inclusivity, and oriented toward sustainable, forward-thinking progress.' What do you make of the Wellington mayoral race so far? 'A contest of ideas, pitting bold, community-led innovation (my platform) against more established institutional politics.' Hastie said he has not yet received any donations exceeding $5,000. Ray Chung Independent Together Councillor Ray Chung during a Wellington City Council meeting. Photo / Mark Mitchell Ray Chung is a first-term city councillor running for the mayoralty under a group of independent candidates titled Independent Together. He ran for the mayoralty in 2022 placing fourth with 12,670 votes. He has come under fire for a sexual gossip-filled email he sent about Tory Whanau in 2023. Chung is also running for re-election in the Wharangi Onslow-Western Ward. What are your top three priorities for Wellington if elected? 'A council led by me will work with the other INDEPENDENT TOGETHER and like-minded Councillors to deliver on Zero Rates Increases to make Wellington affordable for all. 'We will make the hard, adult decisions to refocus Council resources towards core priorities and basics, reducing duplicated services, unnecessary gold plating and ensuring residents get value for money. 'We will restore access to the city for all and focus on making it easier for businesses to flourish. Businesses generate jobs for residents and students, and this will bring people back to the city to contribute to prosperity and growth.' How would you describe your politics in one sentence? 'My goal is to get central government Party politics out of council governance and to refocus everyone on the core priorities and basics that only Council can deliver to its residents.' What do you make of the Wellington mayoral race so far? 'I began my campaign early because I understood that to take back the city from the political parties in favour of truly independent councillors required a long runway. The political parties, Labour and Greens in particular, don't want to relinquish their hold on the city's treasury, and that's evident by the number of candidates they're running.' Chung said he has the backing of residents 'across all political, cultural, economy, age, and sex demographics'. He will not proactively disclose donations but has previously said his campaign group had raised between $150,000 - $200,000. He was previously backed by high-profile philanthropist Sir Mark Dunajtschik but he withdrew his support following the email scandal. Rob Goulden Independent Wellington mayoral candidate and former city councillor Rob Goulden. A former police officer and territorial soldier, Rob Goulden served as a Wellington City councillor between 1998 and 2010. Mayor Kerry Prendergast said at the time his aggressive behaviour had become a problem at the council. He now works as a Metlink bus driver and runs a security and protective services company. What are your top three priorities for Wellington if elected? 'Grow the Cities economy by focusing on the things we are good at eg. Film Industry, Arts Culture and Entertainment, Developing Wellington as an IT hub, Tourism and Wellington as a centre of education with our two Universities and potentially other centres of learning. 'Focus on priorities and cut wasteful spending. core business and infrastructure on projects we can afford. Reduce debt and rates to an affordable level. Rates increases will be no greater than the level of inflation. 'Provide Leadership to a City that desperately needs it, scrutinise all expenditure, do things smarter and enhance input from the public with better decision making and better processes and bring back the Vibe Confidence and Investment to Wellington.' How would you describe your politics in one sentence? 'Centrist.' What do you make of the Wellington mayoral race so far? 'It's been a challenge with lack of access to media. Its definitely the dirtiest campaign I have ever been involved with.' Goulden said 'The Campaign Manager and a couple of the team are running the Campaign fund and account' and he has 'nothing to do with it'. Scott Caldwell Scott Caldwell Scott 'Scoot' Caldwell, who lives in Auckland, is running for the Wellington Mayoralty. Caldwell, who also goes by Scoot, lives in Auckland working as a software engineer. He is an advocate for housing intensification. What are your top three priorities for Wellington if elected? 'To be unafraid of growth and change. This is the only way that Wellington can become a city that everyone can enjoy living in. 'To grow our rates base without asking Wellingtonians to dig even deeper into their pockets. This will mean taking on the Beehive. Government buildings do not pay any commercial rates, which impacts the city's bottom line. If you own buildings and run your operation in this city, you have to contribute to the coffers like everyone else. 'To be unapologetic in the rejection of curtain twitchers trapped in the 1980s who hold the city back. We have to embrace affordable housing, great infrastructure and thriving businesses.' How would you describe your politics in one sentence? 'I don't play politics - the Mayor of Wellington needs to be for all Wellingtonians, not just for Wellingtonians with the same political views.' What do you make of the Wellington mayoral race so far? 'It's a pretty poor showing. The city deserves better than yet another former minister looking for a cushy retirement gig.' Caldwell said he is not yet convinced he needs donations to win the mayoralty. William Pennywize Pennywize the Rewilding Clown James Barber is running as William Pennywize in the Wellington Mayoral race. James Barber is running as William Pennywize, a reference to Pennywise the Dancing Clown from the movie adaptations of Stephen King's novel 'It'. The campaign is a satirical jab at Chung's campaign group Independent Together, also called IT. Pennywize recently attended one of the groups events in Newtown. What are your top three priorities for Wellington if elected? 'Make the Basin Swamp Again, daylight all awa as well as genetically engineering giant tuna and moa as part of our new public transport scheme. You will no longer slowly rumble down Adelaide rd on a double decker and be stuck in traffic on Courtney Place you will instead fly along the back of a giant tuna or a resurrected moa.' How would you describe your politics in one sentence? 'Rewilding Wellington will tackle the water crisis, the climate crisis and the wellbeing crisis at the same time; while also just being really cool!' What do you make of the Wellington mayoral race so far? 'The Wellington mayoral race has been a desolate wasteland of visionless moaning about how infrastructure costs money. The Pennywize campaign is a bright oasis of opportunity and aspiration in an otherwise boring and depressing landscape.' Barber said he has received $750.70 in donations and plans to spend every cent. Voting and results Today is the last day to enrol to cast an ordinary vote, those not enrolled after today will have to cast a special vote. Voting opens on 9 September and closes at noon Saturday 11 October. Provisional results will be released the same day with the final results declared Thursday October 16. Ethan Manera is a New Zealand Herald journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 as a broadcast journalist with Newstalk ZB and is interested in local issues, politics, and property in the capital. He can be emailed at
Scoop
23-07-2025
- Scoop
Custom AI Agents Signal Major Workforce And Development Shifts, Says OutSystems Study
Custom AI agents are poised to reshape how enterprises build software and structure their workforces, according to new research from OutSystems. The global survey of 550 software executives found that 93% of companies are actively developing or planning to develop their own AI agents, highlighting the fast-growing adoption of so-called 'agentic AI'. The study, created with CIO Dive and KPMG, suggests businesses are embracing AI agents as a strategic response to mounting pressure for digital transformation, faster innovation, and cost-efficient operations. Agentic AI offers a solution by automating complex processes, integrating siloed systems, and enabling personalised digital interactions at scale. 'AI agents are no longer just a concept—they're becoming operational building blocks within organisations,' said Woodson Martin, CEO of OutSystems. 'Soon, they'll function like specialised digital teams, identifying business opportunities and refining solutions without direct human intervention.' Beyond streamlining development cycles, AI agents are altering the makeup of software teams. OutSystems' data shows that nearly 70% of executives expect AI to introduce new, specialised roles such as agent orchestration and oversight positions. Additionally, 63% anticipate significant reskilling of existing staff to manage and work alongside AI tools. AI's business value is also becoming clearer: more than half of respondents cited improved customer experiences, accelerated software development timelines, and the automation of repetitive tasks as key benefits. Customer service leads current AI agent deployment, but executives are eyeing broader use across product development, marketing, and supply chains. However, the study also underscores risks tied to AI proliferation. Governance and compliance concerns top the list, alongside fears over the transparency of AI decision-making and the growing technical debt caused by uncoordinated AI deployments. Michael Harper of KPMG LLP noted, 'Many organisations that began with cautious AI pilots are now seeing tangible productivity and quality gains. This is giving them the confidence to integrate AI more broadly into their operations.' As businesses increasingly lean on AI-powered autonomy to scale and innovate, the emergence of AI agents signals a turning point not just for software development, but for workforce strategy and organisational design.
