Half a Million NHS Staff to Receive AI Tools to Free Up More Time for Patients

Key Takeaways: 

• NHS England is rolling out Microsoft 365 Copilot to 505,000 clinicians and support staff, with the full rollout expected to be complete by October 2026.
  
• The world’s largest healthcare AI trial of its kind found that the tool could save staff an average of 43 minutes a day – the equivalent of around five weeks a year, or roughly two days of administrative time every month.
  
• Copilot is expected to support a wide range of roles, including clinical administration, ward clerks, medical secretaries, core services such as HR and finance, and management.
  
  
  

A major step forward in NHS AI adoption 

More than half a million NHS staff are being given access to new artificial intelligence (AI) tools that could free up an average of two days every month from administrative duties, creating more time for the work that matters most to patients and staff.

NHS England announced today that it is significantly accelerating the adoption of AI across healthcare services by providing 505,000 clinicians and support staff with access to Microsoft 365 Copilot.

The AI personal assistant is designed to help clinicians draft documents and analyse data more efficiently, so they can devote more of their time to caring for patients.

What the world’s largest healthcare AI trial found

The agreement follows the largest AI trial of its kind anywhere in the world in healthcare, which gave more than 30,000 NHS workers across 90 NHS organisations access to Microsoft 365 Copilot.

The trial found that AI-powered administrative support could save an average of 43 minutes per staff member each day, or more – the equivalent of five weeks of time per person every year.

Results from the trial indicated that a full rollout of Microsoft 365 Copilot could save millions of hours of staff time per month.

NHS England and government leaders welcome the rollout 

Rob Thompson, Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer at NHS England, said: “The NHS wants to embrace cutting-edge technology and this Microsoft partnership will mean staff can be freed from admin so they can focus more of their time on what matters most – improving care for patients.

“Innovations like this will help drive NHS productivity so patients can get the treatment they need sooner and there is better value for taxpayers.

“The potential to save NHS staff around 2 days of admin time every month could be a gamechanger for patients.

“As part of our 10 Year Health Plan, we’re making sure every pound is spent on cutting waiting times and boosting care”.

Health Innovation and Safety Minister Preet Kaur Gill said: “Technology should support our NHS staff, not slow them down.

“Every day, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals spend valuable time on administrative tasks that take them away from patients. By rolling out Microsoft Copilot across the NHS, we can reduce that burden, free up clinicians’ time and help staff focus on what they do best caring for patients.

“This government is putting innovation to work for patients: helping staff work more efficiently, improving productivity and supporting a modern NHS that delivers better care, faster access to treatment and better value for taxpayers”.

Darren Hardman, CEO, Microsoft UK and Ireland, said: “By rolling out Microsoft 365 Copilot at scale, NHS teams can cut through everyday admin and spend more time where it matters most.

“Bringing AI safely into the flow of healthcare will help ease pressures, improve productivity and support better decision-making across the health service.

“We’re proud to work with NHS England to help tackle some of its biggest challenges and accelerate digital transformation for the benefit of staff and patients alike”.

How Copilot will be used across the health service

Copilot is designed to help users create, analyse and complete work more quickly. NHS England anticipates that it will be harnessed in a variety of ways across all aspects of the healthcare service, including:

• Clinical administration: supporting clinicians in drafting letters and in registrar training.
• Ward clerks: assisting with patient discharge processes, service data analysis, rota building and bed management.
• Medical secretaries: helping to draft patient letters and meeting minutes, and creating templates to maintain consistency.
• Core services: supporting human resources, finance and procurement functions.
• Management: assisting with drafting board papers, briefings and organisational analysis.
  
  
  

Licensing and timeline for the rollout

Each NHS trust will receive a central allocation of licences based on its organisational headcount, typically starting at around 2,000 Microsoft 365 Copilot licences.

The rollout to more than 500,000 staff across the NHS is expected to be complete by October 2026.

Source: NHS England