NHS recommends 19 AI tools to give doctors up to 25% more patient time

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By Claudia Tanner

NHS organisations are being urged to adopt AI notetaking tools that could allow doctors to spend nearly a quarter more time with patients.

NHS England is recommending doctors take advantage of a new national registry of 19 suppliers for the technology, which captures clinician–patient conversations and uses AI to accurately generate real-time transcriptions and clinical summaries.

Embracing the cutting-edge tools, known as Ambient Voice Technologies, could save clinicians up to two or three minutes for each patient consultation, freeing up more time for them to see other patients.

These suppliers have been required to comply with standards on clinical safety, technology and data protection.

Evidence from 17,000 patient encounters

The NHS England-sponsored study, led by GOSH DRIVE at Great Ormond Street Hospital, evaluated AI-scribing across nine London sites including hospitals, GP surgeries, mental health services, and ambulance teams. Over 17,000 patient encounters were assessed.

Results showed a 23.5% increase in direct patient interaction time during appointments when AI-scribes were used, alongside an 8.2% reduction in overall appointment length. A&E departments saw particularly strong outcomes, with a 13.4% increase in patients seen per shift.