Sarah WardTherapists are used to adapting. We’ve moved from handwritten notes to digital records, from face to face sessions to secure video calls and from paper diaries to online booking systems. Each change brought a learning curve and a little apprehension, but before long it became second nature.
Artificial intelligence is part of that ongoing shift. Across the NHS it already supports everyday care, and it’s being adopted in a careful, practical way.
A brief look back: AI in the NHS
AI first appeared in NHS services more than a decade ago, mainly in diagnostic work such as reading chest X-rays and identifying cancers.
In 2019 the NHS launched the AI Lab to set clear governance and safety frameworks. Since then more than 80 NHS sites have tested or deployed AI tools across a wide range of services. PMC
These include innovations that help clinicians interpret images, predict demand and streamline clinical workflows. Together they are saving valuable time and improving efficiency. Arden & GEM
The takeaway is simple: AI is already part of the NHS landscape, introduced carefully and with clear structure.
AI documentation in the NHS: a new chapter
A quieter shift is happening in documentation, as AI note taking in healthcare becomes part of routine practice. AI transcription tools now help clinicians record, transcribe and summarise conversations, turning spoken words into clear, structured notes. The aim is to lighten admin and create more time for direct clinical care.
A recent scoping review of 36 high quality studies found that AI documentation tools can:
- reduce documentation time
- improve readability and clarity
- match or even exceed human accuracy when reviewed appropriately
Clinicians describe feeling more present in appointments, confident that the record is being captured while they listen, think and connect. PMC
This builds on what we explored in our earlier post, How Better Documentation Strengthens Therapist-Client Relationships, which looked at how note quality supports therapeutic connection.
How AI note taking is being used in practice
Across the NHS, several trusts are exploring AI-assisted transcription and documentation.
Here’s what this looks like in practice, and what staff are saying about it.
Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH)
- What: The hospital’s innovation team piloted an ambient voice tool that listens to consultations and drafts notes for clinician review.
- Benefit: Clinicians reported being able to sit closer to patients, focus on their stories and spend less time typing.
- Staff voice: “Using the AI tool meant I could sit closer to them face to face and really focus on what we discussed.” Dr Maaike Kusters, Paediatric Immunology Consultant GOSH
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- What: Piloting ambient voice technology across outpatient and inpatient services, converting speech into clinical notes and letters for clinician review.
- Benefit: Designed to enhance staff and patient experience, freeing clinicians from after hours note writing and improving documentation accuracy.
- Staff voice: “These evaluations are a really important part of working out whether a technology works for us and for our patients before we commit.” Megan Morys Carter, Director of Digital Innovation. Oxford University Hospitals
Rolling out AI dictation across multiple NHS trusts
- What: Four trusts, including Oxleas and North East London, are rolling out AI powered dictation tools that automatically transcribe and summarise clinician notes.
- Benefit: Estimated to save around three minutes per case note, equating to 1.2 million clinician days annually.
- Staff voice: “By using AI we can dedicate more time to delivering high quality care.” James Woolard, Chief Clinical Information Officer, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. Digital Health
Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
- What: Testing an AI system that generates structured summaries from doctor patient conversations.
- Benefit: Reduced administrative burden and improved consistency in documentation.
- Staff voice: “It allows more clinical time to be spent with patients.” Dr Yat Li, Consultant Anaesthetist. HTN
Setting the standard: NHS guidance and governance
In April 2025 NHS England published guidance on the use of AI enabled ambient scribing products in health and care settings.
The guidance sets out how AI tools must be tested, approved and monitored. It outlines clear standards for:
- clinical safety and human oversight
- data security and confidentiality
- transparency and audit trails
- integration with existing electronic record systems
It acts as a practice guide for safe, responsible use. A kind of roadmap that other services can follow.
For private practitioners it means the groundwork has been done. The questions about confidentiality, data protection, consent and accuracy have already been explored at scale.
What NHS staff think
Clinicians are broadly supportive.
A Health Foundation survey found 76% of NHS staff support the use of AI to help with patient care and 81% support it for administrative tasks.
Many describe AI as a second pair of hands that protects their time for the work that matters most.
What this means for private therapists
Using AI documentation systems may still feel new in private practice, but the NHS examples show how it can make work feel more human by easing routine note taking.
- More attention in the room: with the tool capturing the details of the session, you can stay with the conversation.
- Clearer follow-up: good drafts make it easier to produce succinct notes or letters after a session.
- Your judgement first: you decide what is kept, what is edited and what is shared.
The technology does the heavy lifting on the details, and you keep the clinical voice.
Closing thought
For now, AI in therapy documentation is where digital record keeping once was: new, slightly uncomfortable and full of potential.
But the lesson from the NHS is clear. Progress isn’t about replacing people, it’s about supporting them.
The future of note taking won’t make therapy less personal.
It will make it more present.
Sources and further reading
- NHS England. Guidance on the use of AI-enabled ambient scribing products in health and care settings (27 April 2025). NHS England
- C. Lee et al. Evaluating the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Accuracy and Efficiency of Clinical Documentation: A Scoping Review (2024). PMC
- Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). GOSH pilots AI tool to give clinicians more quality time with patients (11 Nov 2024). London multi-site evaluation follow-up (4 Sept 2025). GOSH Hospital site
- Oxford University Hospitals. Ambient Voice Technology trial at OUH (27 Jun 2025) and HTN coverage (3 Jul 2025). ouh.nhs.uk
- Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. NHS Trust trials Artificial Intelligence during consultations (12 Mar 2025) and HTN coverage (24 Mar 2025). royalwolverhampton.nhs.uk
- Digital Health. AI dictation tool to be introduced in four NHS trusts (23 Jul 2025); Access Group press note on time-saving estimate (29 Jul 2025). Digital Health
- Health Foundation. AI in health care: what do the public and NHS staff think? and press release (31 Jul 2024). health.org.uk
- NHS AI Lab background and evaluation context. PMC
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