AI notetaking tools could give UK doctors 25% more time with patients

Doctors spend a huge chunk of their day fighting paperwork. Notes, summaries, records and clinical admin eat into minutes that could be spent face-to-face with patients. Now, the UK's National Health Service is backing a new class of artificial intelligence tools that promise to shift the balance. These systems listen to clinician-patient conversations, turn them into real-time transcripts and polished clinical summaries, and liberate doctors from their keyboards.

Early evidence suggests a potential increase in patient interaction time of nearly 25 percent across sites where the tech has been trialled.

How does it work?

At the heart of this transformation are what's known as ambient voice technologies. Think of them as a digital scribe:

• They capture spoken conversations during appointments in real time.
• AI algorithms convert speech to structured clinical notes.
• Summaries and documentation are automatically generated, leaving clinicians free to review rather than record.
• A new self-certified national registry lists 19 approved suppliers that meet NHS standards on safety, data protection and clinical quality.

This isn't a rough transcription. The NHS insists that every provider on the registry must prove that tools are safe, evidence-based and actually deliver benefits to patients and clinicians alike.

Why does it matter?

In busy clinics, every second counts. Doctors have long complained that electronic health records have replaced eye contact with endless typing. This tech could flip that script:

• Clinicians save two to three minutes per consultation.
• More time with patients means more accurate diagnoses, better relationships and less burnout.
• Early NHS data shows a 23.5 percent increase in direct patient interaction time where AI scribes were used.

As Dr Alec Price-Forbes, NHS England's National Chief Clinical Information Officer, put it, "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."

It matters because health care success isn't just about treatments. It's about connection. And giving clinicians back time with patients is one of the most tangible ways to improve care quality and satisfaction.

The context

This push is part of a broader NHS digital strategy. Last year, national guidance urged trusts and clinics to explore AI tools that aren't just flashy but proven to improve outcomes.

The new registry follows that advice and aims to guard against unsafe or unproven tech creeping into patient care pathways. It's also not happening in isolation:

• Earlier pilots in emergency departments showed AI scribes shaving nearly half an hour off administrative tasks, letting staff handle more cases.
• Independent reports show practitioners already using AI tools for documentation and admin tasks.

This technology arrives at a time when health systems worldwide are grappling with workforce shortages and rising patient demand. AI scribes promise relief, but they also raise questions about regulation, equity and data governance that health leaders will need to navigate as deployment scales.