Not-for-profit health IT organisation Patients First is set to launch a secure email platform for the New Zealand healthcare sector that is aimed at preventing data breaches while allowing for informal communication about patients between healthcare professionals.

Called 'hMael' and due to be made available before Christmas, the idea is not to supplant secure messaging but to provide a safe alternative to normal email for informal and ad hoc communication between healthcare workers. The basic system will be free of charge.