AI is coming to hospitals and GP surgeries

Speed appointments, slash bureaucracy

AI tools that can transcribe conversations and write them up into clinical letters will sit at the heart of the transformation in both primary and secondary care.

The government has unveiled new guidance to accelerate the use of AI across NHS hospitals and GP surgeries, as part of a plan to revolutionise patient care and reduce clinicians’ admin burden.

The initiative forms a key pillar of the government's Plan for Change, aimed at overhauling the health service by cutting waiting lists, boosting efficiency and freeing clinicians to focus on patients.

Health and social care Secretary Wes Streeting called AI "the catalyst that will revolutionise healthcare," adding that the government is committed to shifting NHS care from "analogue to digital."

"This government made the difficult but necessary decision at the Budget to put a record £26 billion into our NHS and social care, including cash to roll out more pioneering tech," he added.

Ambient voice technologies (AVTs) – tools that listen to conversations between clinicians and patients, transcribe them, and draft clinical notes or letters - are at the heart of the transformation.

These notes are later reviewed and authorised by healthcare staff before being securely uploaded to electronic health records.

A London-wide trial, funded by NHS England and led by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH), has already shown results.

The multi-site study, involving more than 7,000 patients across adult outpatient clinics, GP surgeries, A&E departments, paediatrics and mental health services, found that the AI tools “significantly reduced” the time clinicians spent on paperwork and increased the time available for direct patient care (the interim results have not been published, so we only have the government’s word for this so far – Ed.).

"Using the AI tool during the trial meant I could sit closer to them face-to-face and really focus on what they were sharing with me, without compromising on the quality of documentation," said Dr Maaike Kusters, paediatric immunology consultant at GOSH.

Emergency departments also saw improvements. AVTs were found to help staff see more patients by automatically handling routine documentation tasks.

The guidance encourages the use of AI-powered documentation tools across both primary and secondary care settings.

Early adopters like the Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre in East Hull have reported measurable benefits, particularly in caring for frail patients.

By transcribing conversations into structured notes, healthcare professionals have been able to redirect their focus toward patient support and decision-making.

Dr Andrew Noble, a clinician at the East Hull centre, said: "The positive feedback from both staff and patients shows just how valuable this project has been."

While pushing forward on innovation, the government insists that data security and patient privacy remain paramount.

Clinicians using the tools will receive dedicated training to ensure safe implementation.

In addition to its documentation applications, AI is already being used across the NHS to speed up diagnosis and treatment. Current projects include tools that assess pain in non-verbal patients, assist in early breast cancer detection and streamline patient discharge processes.