NHS Trial Shows AI-Scribes Improve Patient Care, Ease Clinician Workload, and Deliver Major Savings

Key Takeaways:

• AI-scribe technology increased direct patient interaction time by 23.5% and reduced appointment length by 8.2% during trials.
• Economic modelling suggests nationwide use could unlock £834 million annually through reduced documentation time and increased capacity.
• Patients, families, and clinicians reported positive experiences, with 92% of patients consenting to AI use and clinicians describing it as “transformative.”
  
  
  

GOSH leads major NHS study on AI-scribes

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) will introduce AI-scribe technology across outpatient settings this autumn after a large-scale NHS trial revealed significant benefits for patients and healthcare professionals.

The NHS England-sponsored study, led by GOSH, evaluated TORTUS – an ambient voice AI tool that transcribes consultations and produces summarised clinical notes for clinicians to review. The technology was tested between June 2024 and February 2025 across nine NHS sites in London, including hospitals, GP practices, mental health services, and ambulance teams.

In total, more than 17,000 patient encounters were assessed, making this one of the largest AI-scribe trials to date.

Benefits for patients and clinicians

The study demonstrated that AI-scribing technology can both reduce administrative burden and enhance clinical care. Results showed a 23.5% increase in direct patient interaction time during consultations and an 8.2% reduction in average appointment length.

Dr Shankar Sridharan, chief clinical information officer at GOSH NHS Foundation Trust, emphasised the significance of the findings:

“This trial is significant as it shows the NHS can lead the way in safely adopting AI. Innovation can’t happen in isolation and by working collaboratively to test this technology across London – from hospitals to ambulances – we’ve proven it can work at scale and make a real difference for both patients and clinicians.”

Emergency care impact

Emergency departments saw particularly notable gains. At St George’s University Hospital, the trial demonstrated a 13.4% increase in patients seen per shift, while the time required to complete initial patient notes was halved.

Dr Ahmed Mahdi, consultant in emergency medicine at St George’s, said:

“In such a fast-paced, high-pressured environment, every second counts – and this technology allows us to be more efficient, cut down on admin, and ultimately focus on patient care. Better use of technology is central to the future of the NHS, and it’s exciting to be at the forefront of an innovative pilot that’s truly reshaping how we deliver care.”

Positive experiences for staff and patients

Clinicians widely described the AI-scribing tool as “transformative.” Benefits were reported across multiple groups, including neurodivergent staff and those working in highly pressured settings. The trial measured a 35% reduction in clinicians feeling overwhelmed by notetaking, an area of particular concern in demanding environments.

Patients and families also welcomed the technology. With 92% consenting to AI-scribe use, many reported improved engagement during consultations, reflecting the greater focus clinicians could place on listening and interaction rather than typing.

National implications and economic modelling

Dr Vin Diwakar, clinical transformation director at NHS England, highlighted the broader potential:

“Allowing clinicians to spend nearly 25% more of their time interacting with patients and less time typing into a computer improves patient care and reduces the burden of administrative tasks. We’re striving to bring the benefits of innovations like this to the frontline so we can transform healthcare for patients as part of the 10 year health plan.”

Economic analysis conducted by the York Health Economics Consortium showed that if each clinician could see one additional patient per shift, this would generate £270.93 of added capacity per day. Extrapolated nationally across 11,055 A&E clinicians in England, this equates to 9,259 additional consultations per day, saving £176 million in documentation time and unlocking an additional £658 million in capacity annually.

Establishing a national framework

The findings of the trial have directly informed NHS England’s national guidance on AI-enabled scribing. They have also shaped the creation of the NHS T.E.S.T. Framework, a new national model for evaluating AI technologies in healthcare to ensure that innovation is implemented safely, effectively, and consistently across the system.

With GOSH set to roll out AI-scribes across its outpatient departments later this year, the trial marks a turning point in how technology can ease pressure on healthcare staff while enhancing patient experience.