Executive summary
For UK clinicians facing ever-increasing information overload, the way we find answers at the point of care is undergoing a revolution. The era of simple keyword searches is giving way to AI-augmented clinical search, promising faster, more relevant, and clearly cited answers. The NHS already provides national access to established leaders like BMJ Best Practice, while major global platforms are launching powerful new generative AI layers, such as DynaMed’s Dyna AI and UpToDate Expert AI, signalling a market-wide shift to conversational, provenance-first search.
Alongside these international heavyweights, UK-centric options like iatroX are emerging, focusing specifically on the needs of NHS clinicians by providing answers grounded in UK-accepted guidance and peer-reviewed sources, plus integrated tools for retention and professional development. For any clinician, understanding this new landscape—and knowing what to use when—is key. However, the foundational sources like NICE CKS and the NHS Knowledge & Library Hub remain the essential scaffolding for ensuring all answers are safe and verifiable.
What “AI clinical search” means in 2025
The new generation of clinical search tools has moved beyond matching keywords. They are built on a technology called Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), which enables a conversational, natural-language interface. Instead of a list of links, you get a direct, synthesised answer, but with a critical safety feature: inline citations that link back to the original source documents.
This matters for every clinician:
- GPs can get rapid guidance during a 10-minute consultation.
- Hospital doctors can clarify nuances of a condition or therapy at the bedside.
- Pharmacists can get faster, BNF-anchored checks.
- Dentists can quickly verify antibiotic protocols and red flags. The non-negotiable principle for all these tools is visible provenance. An answer without a source is just an opinion.
The UK landscape: four names clinicians actually meet
BMJ Best Practice (NHS-funded access)
A cornerstone of the UK clinical toolkit, BMJ Best Practice provides structured, step-by-step guidance on diagnosis, management, and comorbidities. Its content is peer-reviewed and updated daily. Crucially, it is nationally funded for NHS staff in England and accessible via the NHS Knowledge & Library Hub with an OpenAthens login. Its excellent app also supports offline use.
DynaMed — Dyna AI (EBSCO)
The DynaMed evidence-synthesis platform, highly rated by KLAS, now includes Dyna AI. This is a generative AI layer that provides RAG-based, citation-first answers from the curated DynaMedex and Dynamic Health databases. It is available via the web and mobile, offering a powerful point-of-care Q&A tool.
UpToDate — UpToDate Expert AI (Wolters Kluwer)
A global leader in clinical reference, UpToDate is rolling out its own "clinical-grade" generative AI, UpToDate Expert AI. This is designed to provide conversational answers grounded exclusively in UpToDate's vast, trusted content library. The rollout is staged, with general availability to follow, but its existence signals a major shift from the incumbent players.
iatroX (UK-centric)
iatroX is a conversational search tool and knowledge platform designed specifically for the UK healthcare environment. It provides citation-first answers that help clinicians navigate to and understand information from UK-accepted guidance (such as NICE and SIGN) and peer-reviewed research. It also includes an adaptive Quiz engine mapped to UK curricula and a CPD logging tool, creating an integrated workflow for learning and evidence capture.
Matching tools to tasks by clinician type
- GPs: For rapid management summaries and safety-netting, the national access to BMJ Best Practice is a great starting point. A UK-centric tool like iatroX is ideal for quick, cited answers to questions specific to UK primary care pathways.
- Hospital doctors: For deep dives into complex diagnostics, the comprehensive corpora of UpToDate Expert AI or Dyna AI are powerful. Always verify the outputs via the full-text articles available through the NHS Hub.
- Pharmacists: Drug monographs and interaction data are key. BMJ Best Practice includes the BNF, while the content in DynaMedex is also very strong. A tool like iatroX can provide the cited guideline context around a prescribing decision.
- Dentists: For guidance on antimicrobial stewardship and pain control, BMJ Best Practice and the links to NICE guidance are essential. A UK-specific tool like iatroX can help to rapidly summarise this guidance with sources.
Buyer’s checklist (for ICSs, practices and departments)
- Provenance: Does the tool show clear citations to NICE, SIGN, the BNF, or equivalent high-quality sources by default? Reject any "black-box" answers.
- Coverage & licensing: Is it nationally funded (like BMJ Best Practice) or does it require a local subscription?
- UK fit: Does the tool understand UK spellings, drug names, and clinical thresholds? Is it aligned with NICE CKS?
- Audit & governance: Can user prompts and AI outputs be logged for clinical governance purposes? Does the tool have a clear "abstain" or uncertainty behaviour?
- Interoperability: Does it link with the NHS Knowledge & Library Hub, support OpenAthens, and offer good mobile access?
Safe use & governance
- Always verify against the linked source. An AI summary is a starting point, not the final word. Click the link and read the original guideline on the NICE or SIGN website.
- Use NHS-provided routes. The NHS Knowledge & Library Hub is your gateway to a wealth of nationally and locally procured resources.
- Prefer platforms that show sources by default. The design of tools like iatroX and the marketing for Dyna AI and UpToDate Expert AI all rightly emphasise this as a core safety feature.
How to search smarter (prompt patterns)
- Context: Start your prompt with your role and setting, e.g., "As a UK GP..."
- Task: Be specific about what you want, e.g., "Summarise the current NICE guidance for managing GAD in adults; list the first- and second-line pharmacological options with BNF references."
- Format: Tell the AI how to present the information, e.g., "Return the answer as a bulleted list with hyperlinks to the guideline sections."
- Escalation: Add a safety instruction, e.g., "If the evidence is uncertain, state that and link to the primary guidance."
What’s next (12–24 months)
Expect wider NHS adoption of these GenAI-augmented search tools, tighter integration with the NHS Knowledge & Library Hub, and the emergence of more UK-centric platforms that prioritise citation and the ability to "abstain" from answering by default.
Comparison at a Glance
Tool Provenance UK-Specificity NHS Access Citation Style BMJ Best Practice High (editorial) Strong Free (OpenAthens) Standard refs DynaMed / Dyna AI High (editorial) Good Subscription Inline (RAG) UpToDate / Expert AI High (editorial) Good (US-default) Subscription Inline (RAG) iatroX High (UK-gated) Excellent Free Inline (RAG)
Calls to action
- Clinicians: Make full use of your free NHS access to the NHS Knowledge & Library Hub and BMJ Best Practice. Trial a UK-centric AI layer like iatroX to experience the speed of cited, conversational answers.
- Departments/ICSs: Evaluate the enterprise offerings from Dyna AI and UpToDate Expert AI against your specific needs for provenance, licensing, and integration. Always keep your local NHS librarian services in the loop.