NHS App to Use AI to Decide Which Service Suits Patients Best
Key Takeaways:
- New AI triage software on the NHS App will direct patients to the most suitable service, reaching all app users by April 2028.
- An early Sussex trial cut phone queuing for appointments by 29%, part of a £10bn government drive to modernise NHS technology.
- AI note-taking tools will also expand across England, with health bodies urging safeguards on safety, confidentiality and digital inclusion.
A new AI front door to NHS services
NHS England has announced that artificial intelligence software will be used within the NHS App to work out which service is most appropriate for patients in England. The new triage tool asks patients a series of questions and uses their answers to direct them towards the most suitable option, whether that is a GP appointment, a pharmacy, A&E, a community service, or self-care advice.
The health service has described the change as part of a “major overhaul” of its technology. NHS England said the update would reach more than 200,000 patients over the next 12 months and would be available to all NHS App users by April 2028.
The rollout has been largely welcomed. However, some health bodies have urged the NHS to keep patient safety, confidentiality and inclusion front of mind as clinical services grow more reliant on AI.
How the triage tool will work
According to NHS England, the tool will offer advice, suggest services and book appointments. One of its central aims is to reduce the time people spend waiting on the phone – a familiar pressure point when GP surgeries typically open their phone lines at 08:00.
Early trial results and the clinician’s view
An initial trial at Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership in Sussex saw a 29% reduction in the number of people queuing on the phone for an appointment.
Dr Ragu Rajan, who works at the practice, said that integrating the tool “means our patients can tell us what they need, when they need it, and be directed to the right care first time.”
He added that the technology had supported rather than supplanted clinical judgement: “It hasn’t replaced our judgement – it’s given us back the time to use it.”
Ministerial backing and investment
Health Secretary James Murray sought to reassure the public that the rollout did not mean an AI programme would ultimately decide whether patients saw a doctor. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, he said the change meant investment would be put in to “modernise” the NHS and to ensure the benefits were spread “around the country”.
The initiative forms part of a £10bn investment, allocated by the government in 2025, to overhaul the NHS’s technology, digital and data systems.
Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, said the tool would “help get patients to the best service for their needs first time… so that clinicians can make sure those most in need of a GP appointment can get one sooner”.
AI note-taking to expand across England
Alongside the triage tool, there will be an England-wide rollout of AI tools that record conversations between patients and NHS staff in order to generate real-time transcriptions and clinical summaries.
The expansion will begin with hospital appointments that do not require an overnight stay at four NHS trusts in and around London: St George’s, Epsom and St Helier, Croydon, and Kingston and Richmond.
Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust are also expanding their existing AI note-taking programmes.
A trial led by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, carried out across nine NHS sites in London, found that NHS staff spent almost 25% more of their time interacting with patients when using the note-taking technology.
Welcome tempered by calls for safeguards
The Royal College of Nursing’s chief nursing officer, Prof Lynn Woolsey, said the rollout could mark “an important step in upgrading technology in the NHS” and could “ease the administrative burden on nursing staff”. She stressed, however, that patient safety and confidentiality must be at the “heart of any AI triage system, with a guarantee that a health professional will be the one making decisions at key points in that process”.
Pritesh Mistry, a fellow at the King’s Fund think-tank, said the announcement “could help turbo-charge improvements in how [the] NHS uses modern technology to deliver better care for patients”.
“People should find it easier to have support at the right time and in a way that best suits them, digitally or physically,” she added. “And this means the NHS will need to keep a strong focus on ensuring that people are not digitally excluded as clinical services become increasingly reliant on technology.”
Political response
Conservative shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew said: “Any innovation that improves patient care and helps the NHS work more effectively should be welcomed.
“But new technology must be introduced with a fully-funded plan that delivers value for taxpayers.”
Source: BBC News
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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
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GPs Offered £3,000 Incentive to Increase Prescribing of NHS Weight Loss Injections
Key Takeaways:
- GP practices in England will be eligible for a £3,000 annual payment for prescribing the maximum number of eligible patients the weight loss drug Mounjaro.
- Access to NHS weight loss injections remains tightly restricted, with eligibility based on BMI and specific health conditions.
- Professional bodies stress that prescribing decisions are driven by clinical judgement, not financial incentives, and warn that workload pressures may increase.
New financial incentives added to GP contract
GP practices across England are set to receive annual incentive payments of £3,000 for prescribing weight loss medication to the maximum number of patients who meet NHS eligibility criteria.
The payments will be incorporated into the national GP contract from April. In addition, practices will be able to receive approximately £1,000 per year for referring patients to weight loss support programmes.
Ministers have said the objective is to ensure that people who could benefit from structured weight management and pharmacological support are able to access it within primary care.
However, specialists in obesity care have cautioned that the overall impact of the scheme may be modest. They note that eligibility for NHS weight loss injections remains tightly restricted and that the incentive does not expand access to a broader population.
Focus on Mounjaro within primary care
The new incentive applies solely to Mounjaro, a next-generation injectable treatment for weight management.
Mounjaro became available on the NHS in 2025. Despite this, prescribing rates in general practice have reportedly been lower than expected, with some variation in uptake across different areas.
Another injectable weight loss medication, Wegovy, is also available through the NHS. However, it is not prescribed by GPs and is instead provided through specialist NHS weight management services.
More than one million people are estimated to be using weight loss injections in the UK. The majority, around nine in ten, are paying privately rather than receiving the medication through the NHS.
Government position: access based on need
The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, described the medicines as potentially transformative for people living with obesity.
He said: “Weight loss drugs can be a real game changer for those who need them. I’m determined that access should be based on need, not ability to pay.
“Outside the NHS, we’ve seen those who can spare the cash buying privately, and the proliferation of rogue prescribers peddling dangerous unlicensed drugs that are putting patients at risk.
“Investing in general practice will help bring this modern medicine to the many, not just the few, and help shift the focus of the NHS from treatment to prevention.“
The government argues that embedding prescribing targets within the GP contract is consistent with longstanding practice. Incentive payments have previously been used to improve dementia diagnosis rates, increase vaccination uptake, and encourage the prescription of statins to reduce cardiovascular risk.
This marks the first time that weight loss injections have been formally included in the GP contract framework, with the £3,000 payment linked to prescribing the maximum number of eligible patients Mounjaro.
Strict eligibility criteria remain in place
Although the incentive has been introduced, NHS access to Mounjaro remains limited.
During the current financial year, GPs have only been permitted to prescribe the medication to people with severe obesity defined as a body mass index over 40, alongside certain weight-related health conditions.
From next year, eligibility is expected to expand to include people with a BMI over 35. By 2028, it is anticipated that 220,000 patients will be receiving Mounjaro through the NHS. Lower BMI thresholds apply for some ethnic groups.
Despite these planned expansions, the roll-out to date has been described as uneven, with variation between practices and regions.
Support from obesity advocates – with caveats
Katharine Jenner, Director of the Obesity Health Alliance, welcomed the move but emphasised its limitations.
She said: “This doesn’t mean weight loss drugs will suddenly be available to everyone who wants them.
“NHS access will remain very limited and focused on those with the greatest clinical need, and these treatments are most effective when combined with sustained support.“
She also stressed the importance of prevention alongside treatment:
“If we’re serious about moving from sickness to prevention, expanded treatment must go alongside stronger action to improve the food environment and prevent obesity in the first place.“
Her comments reflect a broader concern within public health that medication alone cannot address the structural drivers of obesity.
Concerns about equity and workload
Dr Katie Bramall, representing the British Medical Association, questioned whether the scheme would meaningfully reduce inequalities in access.
She said: “While the headlines promise much, in reality there will be no change to NHS England’s eligibility criteria for patients to access injectable weight-loss medication on the NHS.
“These proposals will do nothing over the next year to address the divide between those able to pay and those left waiting unable to afford private self-funded treatments“
Similarly, Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown of the Royal College of GPs emphasised that prescribing decisions are rooted in clinical appropriateness rather than financial drivers.
She said: “GPs do not withhold treatment or prescribe based on financial incentives. Decisions are guided by clinical judgement and what is safest and most appropriate for individual patients.
“Widening the roll-out of these medications in general practice could end up increasing workload in a way that may not be sustainable and risk raising unrealistic expectations among patients who may not be eligible or for whom these medicines are not suitable.“
Her comments highlight the tension between expanding pharmacological options in primary care and managing existing workforce pressures.
A cautious step in a tightly controlled rollout
The introduction of incentive payments signals the government’s intention to embed weight loss pharmacotherapy more firmly within general practice. However, strict eligibility criteria remain in place and access is expected to expand gradually over several years.
While the policy aims to increase NHS provision and reduce reliance on private prescribing, professional bodies and advocacy groups have made clear that the immediate effect will be limited. For now, access continues to be targeted at people with the greatest clinical need, with broader prevention strategies still viewed as essential to addressing obesity at population level.
CCH insight:
It is surprising that GPs need incentivising to prescribe GLP-1 medications like Mounjaro – there is undoubtedly a huge need and demand for these drugs. The reluctance to prescribe them is most likely due to the weight bias that still pervades our society and our health system, the view that people shouldn’t need medication to manage their weight. Referring to these drugs as ‘weight loss jabs’ is not helpful – they are anti-obesity medications. Rather than offer a £3k bonus, GPs should be offered training in understanding obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease, and how GLP-1 medications not only support weight loss but can also improve long-term metabolic and cardiovascular health, and in the long run will save billions of pounds by reducing diabetes and heart disease.
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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.
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Implementing AI in the NHS Proves More Complex than Anticipated, Study Finds
Key Takeaways:
- A UCL-led study revealed that introducing AI diagnostic tools across NHS hospitals faced major challenges with governance, contracts, IT integration and staff training.
- By June 2025, 18 months after contracting was meant to be completed, over one-third of trusts (23 out of 66) had not yet implemented the AI systems in clinical practice.
- Researchers recommend stronger project management, more staff education on AI, and realistic timelines to ensure successful integration.
Background to the study
A major study led by researchers at University College London (UCL) has found that implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in NHS hospitals is considerably more difficult than policymakers and healthcare leaders initially expected. The study, published in The Lancet eClinicalMedicine on 10 September 2025, examined a £21 million NHS England programme launched in 2023. The programme aimed to introduce AI technology for diagnosing chest conditions, including lung cancer, across 66 NHS hospital trusts.
The research team conducted in-depth interviews with hospital staff and AI suppliers to understand how the tools were procured, set up, and used, while also identifying both the challenges encountered and the strategies that proved helpful in supporting implementation.
Delays and barriers to implementation
The study revealed that contracting and procurement processes took between four and ten months longer than expected. By June 2025, 18 months after contracting had been scheduled for completion, one-third of the hospital trusts (23 out of 66) were still not using the AI diagnostic systems in clinical practice.
Dr Angus Ramsey, principal research fellow at the UCL Department of Behavioural Sciences and Health and first author of the study, explained:
“Our study provides important lessons that should help strengthen future approaches to implementing AI in the NHS.
We found it took longer to introduce the new AI tools in this programme than those leading the programme had expected.
A key problem was that clinical staff were already very busy – finding time to go through the selection process was a challenge, as was supporting integration of AI with local IT systems and obtaining local governance approvals.
Services that used dedicated project managers found their support very helpful in implementing changes, but only some services were able to do this.
Also, a common issue was the novelty of AI, suggesting a need for more guidance and education on AI and its implementation.”
Key challenges identified
Researchers highlighted a range of challenges that slowed or complicated implementation, including:
- Staff workload pressures – Clinicians were already under heavy demand, making engagement with selection and integration processes difficult.
- Technological integration – Many NHS hospitals operate on ageing or varied IT systems, which created barriers for embedding the new AI tools.
- Governance processes – Local approvals and oversight requirements delayed progress.
- Lack of understanding and scepticism – Many staff expressed uncertainty or caution about the reliability and usefulness of AI in clinical care.
The study found that trusts that employed dedicated project managers were more successful at managing implementation, underscoring the importance of structured leadership in rolling out new technology.
Lessons for the future
The authors of the study cautioned that although AI tools hold promise for enhancing diagnostic services, they may not resolve workforce and system pressures as easily or quickly as policymakers might hope. As they wrote:
“AI tools may offer valuable support for diagnostic services, they may not address current healthcare service pressures as straightforwardly as policymakers may hope.”
The researchers recommended that:
- NHS staff should receive training on how AI can be used safely and effectively.
- Dedicated project management should be built into large-scale AI implementation programmes.
- Timelines for introducing AI should realistically reflect the complexity of NHS structures and systems.
Professor Naomi Fulop, senior author and professor of health care organisation and management at UCL, emphasised the complexity of the task:
“The NHS is made up of hundreds of organisations with different clinical requirements and different IT systems and introducing any diagnostic tools that suit multiple hospitals is highly complex.”
Funding and next steps
The research was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and conducted collaboratively by teams from UCL, the Nuffield Trust and the University of Cambridge. The group is now conducting further studies on how AI tools perform once they are more firmly embedded in NHS practice.The findings are expected to offer valuable insights for the government’s 10-year health plan, published on 3 July 2025, which identified AI as a central element in modernising and improving NHS services.
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