AI assistant helps NHS staff increase time with patients by almost 25%

An AI assistant has allowed NHS staff to spend nearly 25 % more of their time interacting with patients, a trial has found.

The technology, known as Tortus, transcribes consultations automatically and produces summaries for medics to review.

Tortus uses so-called ambient voice technology, a mix of speech recognition and artificial intelligence, to pick up relevant medical information from a conversation, while filtering out background noise and irrelevant chat.

The study found the platform helped increase direct interaction between patients and clinicians by 23.5% during appointments.

It also reduced the overall length of appointments by 8.2%.

Health minister Stephen Kinnock, said: “This is exactly the kind of innovation we need as we work to build an NHS fit for the future and end hospital backlogs.

“By freeing up clinicians from administrative burden to spend more time with patients, we’re not just improving efficiency, we’re enhancing the human connection that sits at the heart of great healthcare.”

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Source: The Independent, 4 September 2025

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