NHS Endorses AI Notetaking to Expand Face-to-Face Patient Care

Key Takeaways: 

• NHS-backed AI notetaking tools could enable clinicians to spend up to a quarter more time with patients by reducing administrative burden.
  
• A new national registry of approved suppliers sets standards for clinical safety, technology assurance and data protection.
  
• Evidence from more than 17,000 patient encounters shows increased direct patient interaction and shorter appointment times when AI-scribing is used.
  
  
  

NHS support for ambient voice technologies

New artificial intelligence notetaking tools supported by the NHS could allow doctors to spend up to a quarter more time with people receiving care. NHS organisations across England are being encouraged to make use of a newly published national registry of approved suppliers offering this technology.

Often referred to as ambient voice technologies, these tools capture clinician–patient conversations and use AI to generate real-time transcriptions and clinical summaries. The aim is to reduce the time clinicians spend typing notes or navigating screens during consultations, while maintaining high standards of accuracy, privacy and data protection.

By adopting these systems, clinicians could save approximately two to three minutes per patient consultation. At scale, this time saving could be redirected towards additional appointments or more in-depth conversations with people seeking care.

New national registry sets standards for safety and data protection

NHS England has published a new self-certified registry for AI notetaking technologies, listing 19 suppliers that meet national requirements. The registry requires participating suppliers to comply with established standards covering clinical safety, technological performance and data protection.

The launch follows NHS guidance issued last year, which advised NHS organisations to adopt AI notetaking tools only where they are safe, evidence-based and demonstrably beneficial for patients. The registry is intended to give local NHS teams confidence when selecting and implementing these tools.

Clinical leadership highlights potential benefits

Dr Alec Price-Forbes, NHS England National Chief Clinical Information Officer, said:
“The AI revolution is here and we want to arm our NHS staff with the latest technology, which has the potential to transform the quality, safety and experience of care patients receive, as well as improving efficiency.

“AI notetaking tools will help free up more time for clinicians to focus on their patients, rather than typing up notes or looking at a screen – enhancing the quality of consultations and improving overall patient satisfaction.

“We are working with NHS organisations to help them implement the technology safely and effectively – helping to make the NHS the most AI-enabled healthcare system in the world, as we shift from analogue to digital.”

Minister for Digital Government Ian Murray also emphasised the wider public sector impact, stating:
“AI has enormous potential to transform public services, and this is a prime example of how we can use it to make a real difference. By cutting down on admin and paperwork, we’re giving clinicians back valuable time to do what they do best – caring for patients.

“We’re committed to making the UK an exemplar for how technology can be used to improve public services. Supporting the NHS to adopt tools like these safely and effectively is a key part of that mission.”

Evidence from NHS pilots and large-scale evaluation

AI notetaking technology has already been tested across nine NHS sites, where it was shown to free up clinicians to spend nearly a quarter more time with patients. A major NHS England-sponsored study published last year found that AI-scribing technology can significantly reduce clinician workload while supporting improvements in patient care. The findings suggest that national adoption could unlock millions of pounds worth of additional clinical activity.

The study was led by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust Innovation Unit, known as GOSH DRIVE. It assessed the impact of an AI-scribing tool that automatically transcribes consultations and drafts summarised clinical notes for clinicians to review and approve.

Measurable improvements across care settings

More than 17,000 patient encounters were evaluated across a wide range of NHS settings, including hospitals, GP practices, mental health services and ambulance teams. The results demonstrated a 23.5 per cent increase in direct patient interaction time during appointments when AI-scribes were used. In addition, overall appointment length fell by 8.2 per cent.

Emergency departments saw particularly notable benefits, with a 13.4 per cent increase in the number of patients seen per shift. Together, these findings indicate that AI notetaking tools have the potential to improve both the experience of people receiving care and the efficiency of clinical services when implemented safely and appropriately.