A trial of AI-enabled assistants in the NHS has drastically reduced the admin burden on medical staff, freeing their time to focus on delivering treatment.
One of the tools - ambient voice technologies (AVTs) - can transcribe patient-clinician conversations, create structured medical notes and even draft patient letters.
Early trial results reveal that the tools are significantly reducing administrative workloads, allowing clinicians to spend more time directly with patients, shorten appointment times, and improve patient throughput in emergency departments.
The government has published new guidance to accelerate the use of AI across NHS services, aiming to revolutionise patient care while safeguarding privacy and data security.
Part of the government’s Plan for Change, this initiative marks a major step towards digitising healthcare and easing pressure on frontline services. The guidance will promote the adoption of speech-to-text AI solutions in primary and secondary care settings, including hospitals and GP surgeries.
Driving innovation across the NHS
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “AI is the catalyst that will revolutionise healthcare and drive efficiencies across the NHS, as we deliver our Plan for Change and shift care from analogue to digital. I am determined we embrace this kind of technology, so clinicians don’t have to spend so much time pushing pens and can focus on their patients."
Funded by NHS England and led by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH), a London-wide evaluation of AVTs has been underway across multiple settings including adult outpatient services, primary care, paediatrics, mental health, community care, A&E, and the London Ambulance Service.
Initial data from over 7,000 patient consultations shows:
At GOSH, AVTs transcribed consultations, drafted clinic notes, and prepared patient letters, which clinicians then reviewed before securely uploading them to the electronic health record system. Feedback from staff highlights the technology’s impact on enhancing patient engagement without compromising the quality of medical documentation.
Dr Maaike Kusters, Paediatric Immunology Consultant at GOSH, said: "Using the AI tool during the trial meant I could sit closer to patients face-to-face and really focus on what they were sharing with me, without compromising on the quality of documentation."
Modernising patient care pathways
Currently, clinicians spend a substantial portion of their time recording notes and summarising them into referral documents - time which could be spent on direct patient care.
In East Hull, the Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre (part of City Health Care Partnership) has deployed an ambient scribing solution, enabling doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals to convert conversations into clinical notes in real-time, freeing up time to deliver better support to people living with frailty.
The NHS is already leveraging AI in areas such as:
Dr Vin Diwakar, National Director of Transformation at NHS England, added: "This exciting technology can reduce the burden of administration, allowing patients more quality time with their clinician. Our new guidance demonstrates the NHS’s ability to rapidly and safely harness the latest innovations to transform healthcare."