Executive summary
In 2025, artificial intelligence has firmly landed in UK primary care, moving from promising pilots to practical tools that are reshaping daily workflows. This shift is supported by official policy, including NHS England's implementation guidance for AI-enabled ambient scribing and the NHS App's roadmap for an AI-powered patient companion. For GP partners, PCN clinical directors, and practice managers, the challenge is no longer if they should adopt AI, but which tools to adopt and how to do so safely and effectively.
The most impactful AI tools for GPs today fall into four clear categories: (1) patient access and triage chatbots, (2) ambient scribes for notes and letters, (3) point-of-care clinical search, and (4) operational tools for improving practice efficiency. This guide provides a definitive overview of the leading platforms in each category—from triage tools like Anima and PATCHS, to scribes like Accurx Scribe and Heidi Health, to practice ops assistants like Ankit AI, and clinical search tools like iatroX. We'll explore what they do, the evidence for their impact, and the essential governance guardrails your practice must have in place.
Use-cases that move the needle in primary care
- A. Documentation time → back to care (ambient scribing): NHS site evaluations and emerging peer-reviewed work consistently indicate that AI scribing reduces the administrative burden of note-taking, freeing up clinicians to focus on the patient.
- B. Demand management (digital triage/navigation): NHS policy now embeds digitally-enabled triage as a core part of primary care access. The new generation of AI-powered layers can help to route and resolve a higher proportion of patient requests without needing a traditional appointment.
- C. Faster, cited answers (clinical reference): UK-centric, citation-first retrieval tools can cut the "multi-tab" hunting for guidelines and evidence, providing fast, verifiable answers at the point of care.
Category map & vendor snapshots
1. Clinical Q&A & reference (point-of-care)
- iatroX: A UK-centric clinical AI assistant that provides citation-first answers grounded in peer-reviewed research and UK-accepted guidance. Its free Knowledge Centre and Ask features are designed to complement core NHS resources, providing a rapid, conversational way to explore the evidence.
- OpenEvidence: A powerful medical search engine that is free for verified clinicians, offering deep evidence synthesis from a global literature base.
- DynaMed / Dyna AI: A retrieval-augmented summary tool from EBSCO. Note that as of late 2025, the Dyna AI feature is currently unavailable in the EU and UK.
2. Ambient scribing & documentation
- Accurx Scribe (powered by Tandem): This AI scribe is being rolled out via the ubiquitous Accurx platform, which is already present in 98% of UK GP practices. It offers AI-powered transcription that is drafted into structured notes, with direct write-back to EMIS and SystmOne.
- Tandem Health: The CE-marked AI scribe engine that powers Accurx Scribe, with its own evidence from UK deployments.
- Heidi Health: An AI scribe that is live in a number of UK GP practices, as evidenced by public-facing patient communication pages.
- Nuance DAX / Dragon Copilot: The ambient scribe and workflow assistant from the established market leader, Nuance (a Microsoft company).
- Tortus: A UK-based AI assistant and scribe that has featured in several high-profile NHS pilots and media coverage.
3. Digital triage, navigation & access
- Anima: A widely adopted online consultation and productivity platform. PCN-level case studies show a large percentage of patient requests can be resolved without an appointment.
- PATCHS AI Care Navigator: A medical-device-grade triage tool developed from the University of Manchester, with published evaluations and a registered clinical trial.
- eConsult (now part of Huma): A long-standing digital triage platform in the UK, whose acquisition by Huma signals a future of deeper AI integration.
- Rapid Health “Smart Triage”: Positions itself as an autonomous AI triage tool for 24/7 patient access, and is listed on the NHS Innovation Accelerator.
- Flok Health (MSK digital clinic): An illustrative example of how AI can provide downstream capacity. This CQC-registered, AI-run physiotherapy clinic interfaces with primary care, with pilots showing it can halve waiting times for MSK patients.
4. Practice ops, letters & finance
- Ankit AI: A GP-specific AI assistant designed to help with non-clinical drafting tasks, such as creating practice policies, patient off-listing letters, and prompts for understanding funding and contract guidance.
- MedicsMoney: While not an AI tool itself, this hub for UK doctors' finance and operations is a key resource for learning about the business case for AI. Its podcasts and articles often feature case studies from practices using tools like Tandem and Heidi.
Buyer’s checklist (NHS-ready due diligence)
- Safety & assurance: Has the vendor provided a complete DTAC pack? Do they have the required DCB0129 (supplier) and support you with the DCB0160 (adopter) clinical safety documentation? What is the CQC's position?
- Deployment reality: Does the tool have proven, reliable write-back to EMIS or SystmOne? Does it support single sign-on? What are the data residency and audio storage policies?
- Evidence & outcomes: Are there credible NHS case studies showing measurable impact on metrics like admin minutes saved, triage resolution rates, or waiting time reductions?
Implementation playbooks
- Ambient scribe (clinic pilot, 6–8 weeks): Baseline the minutes clinicians spend per note and on after-hours admin. Pilot a tool like Accurx Scribe, Heidi, or Tortus with a small group of clinicians. Measure the reduction in documentation time and ensure all safety and governance requirements are met before scaling.
- Digital triage & navigation: Baseline your current number of requests per day, your appointment conversion rate, and your average wait time. Pilot a tool like Anima or PATCHS and measure the percentage of requests safely resolved without an appointment.
Quick comparison tables
Table A: Scribes
| Vendor | NHS Status | EHR Write-Back | Audio Handling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accurx Scribe/Tandem | Widely deployed | Yes (EMIS/S1) | "No store" (processed in memory) |
| Heidi Health | Live in GP practices | Yes (EMIS/S1) | Check policy |
| Tortus | NHS pilots | Varies by site | Check policy |
Table B: Triage
| Platform | Autonomy Claims | Evidence/Trial Reg | Capacity Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anima | Productivity/automation | Case studies | High % resolved w/o appt |
| PATCHS | Medical device triage | Yes (ISRCTN) | Published evaluations |
| Rapid Health | Autonomous triage | NHS Accelerator | 24/7 access model |
FAQs
- Which AI scribe is most “NHS-ready”?
- Accurx Scribe has the largest potential footprint due to the existing Accurx platform. Heidi, Tandem, and Tortus are also active and have undergone NHS pilots or deployments. The key is to assess each on their EHR write-back, audio policy, and assurance packs.
- Is there evidence AI triage reduces GP pressure?
- Yes, case studies from platforms like Anima show a high proportion of requests can be resolved without an appointment, and PATCHS has published formal evaluations. You must always validate these claims in your own local pilot.
- What about trusted clinical sources?
- For UK-specific clinical queries, start with a UK-first tool like iatroX. For broader literature searches, complement with a tool like OpenEvidence. Note the current EU/UK availability status of platforms like Dyna AI.
- Where do Ankit AI & MedicsMoney fit?
- Ankit AI is a valuable assistant for speeding up non-clinical GP administrative tasks like drafting letters and policies. MedicsMoney is an essential resource for learning about the business cases and financial implications of adopting AI, with its podcasts often featuring real-world users.