Executive summary
For Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) and Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs) in UK primary care, the right digital tools are essential for practising safely and efficiently. While many advanced AI platforms are emerging, a powerful, effective, and safe toolkit can be built from free-to-use and NHS-funded resources.
The key is to combine authoritative "ground truth" sources like NICE CKS and the BNF with a new generation of free, AI-powered assistants. This guide provides a practical map of the best free tools you can use today, including the UK-centric iatroX for clinical Q&A and CPD, Trip Database’s AskTrip for evidence synthesis, and the NHS-funded BMJ Best Practice via OpenAthens. We will also cover the essential governance you must follow, particularly the official NHS England guidance on new technologies like AI scribes.
Who this guide is for (scope & everyday use-cases)
This guide is for ANPs and ACPs working in GP practices, urgent treatment centres (UTCs), and other community settings. The "jobs-to-be-done" that these tools can help with include:
- Rapid, evidence-based guideline look-ups.
- Answering complex "what's the differential?" or "what's the next step?" questions.
- Ensuring safe prescribing and medicines management.
- Quickly scanning the latest evidence.
- Efficiently logging your learning for CPD and revalidation.
Point-of-care AI: fast, cited answers you can trust (free first)
iatroX (free; UK-centric)
- What it is: A free-to-use clinical AI assistant designed specifically for UK practice. Its Ask iatroX feature provides conversational answers grounded in a curated library of peer-reviewed research and other UK-accepted guidance (like SIGN). It is "citation-first," meaning it shows its sources so you can verify them.
- How it helps: It also includes an integrated CPD logger and a free adaptive quiz engine mapped to UK curricula, making it an all-in-one tool for on-the-job learning and portfolio building.
Trip Database — AskTrip (free tier + Pro)
- What it is: The long-standing, trusted Trip evidence database now has an AI layer. AskTrip provides AI-generated answers with direct links back to the underlying evidence.
- How it helps: It's excellent for quick literature-backed summaries. The free tier is highly useful, with an optional upgrade to a Pro account for more features.
OpenEvidence (eligibility caveat)
- What it is: A powerful AI evidence-synthesis engine that is free for verified U.S. healthcare professionals.
- How it helps: While many UK-based ANPs/ACPs may not qualify for the free tier, it is an important platform to be aware of for its ability to synthesise data from a vast library of medical literature.
Medicines & prescribing (free, authoritative companions to AI)
No AI tool replaces these. These are your definitive sources for verification.
- NICE/BNF & BNFC: The British National Formulary is the non-negotiable source of truth for all UK prescribing, dosing, cautions, and interactions. The online version and free app are essential.
- Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS): This is the NHS’s "first stop" for complex medicines advice. Use their website for Q&As on topics like switching, pregnancy/lactation, and Patient Group Directions (PGDs), or contact their enquiry service for specific problems.
Evidence and reference (NHS-funded)
As an NHS professional, you have free access to these world-class resources.
- BMJ Best Practice (NHS England licence): This is a top-tier, evidence-based point-of-care tool. All NHS staff can get free access via their OpenAthens account. Its mobile app works offline and it automatically tracks your activity for CPD.
- NICE CKS: The Clinical Knowledge Summaries from NICE are the baseline for most common presentations in primary care. They are concise, practical, and your primary reference for national guidance.
Documentation/time-savers (free & open-source—with strong cautions)
- Open-source speech-to-text: Tools like Whisper can be used to transcribe your notes. However, do not use these with live patient data unless your organisation has formally approved them and completed all governance.
- NHS position on AI scribes: The use of any ambient scribe tool in the NHS must follow the 2025 NHSE guidance. This requires a full clinical safety case, a DPIA, and mandatory human verification of every note.
Quick “how-to” workflows
Workflow 1: same-day UTI/RTI query
- AI Assist: Use iatroX Ask to query, "What is the current UK guidance for uncomplicated UTI in a non-pregnant female?"
- Verify (National): Open the cited source, or manually check the relevant NICE CKS topic to confirm the management pathway.
- Verify (Local): Check your local MicroGuide (if used) for your ICB's first-line antibiotic choice.
- Verify (Dose): Confirm the exact dose, duration, and contraindications in the BNF.
- Log: Click "Log CPD" in iatroX to save the query and your reflection for your portfolio.
Workflow 2: complex polypharmacy question
- AI Assist: Use iatroX or AskTrip to ask about the evidence for a specific drug interaction or for deprescribing a certain class of medication.
- Verify: Check the definitive interaction in the BNF.
- Escalate: If still uncertain, use the SPS website or contact your local medicines advice service for an expert opinion.
Governance & safety (what to read)
- NHS AI Knowledge Repository: This is the national hub for practical guidance, case studies, and adoption checklists for AI tools.
- NHSE ambient scribe guidance (2025): If you are considering any scribe tool, you must read this. It outlines your responsibilities for clinical safety, data protection, and assurance.
- NHS-funded access routes: Ensure you have your OpenAthens login to access BMJ Best Practice and the full NHS Knowledge & Library Hub.
Tool cards: a quick-reference
| Tool | What It Is | UK Focus | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| iatroX | AI Q&A, Knowledge Centre, Quiz & CPD | Excellent (UK-centric) | Free |
| Trip/AskTrip | AI-backed Evidence Search | Good | Freemium |
| BMJ Best Practice | Point-of-Care Summary | Strong | Free (NHS OpenAthens) |
| NICE CKS / BNF | Authoritative Guidance | Definitive | Free (UK) |
| SPS | Expert Medicines Advice | Definitive | Free (NHS) |
| OpenEvidence | AI Literature Synthesis | Low (US-centric) | Free (US HCP-verified) |
Calls to action
- Set up today: If you haven't already, register for your NHS OpenAthens account. Use it to download the BMJ Best Practice app and enable its offline content.
- Adopt a “verify then act” habit: Use a free, citation-first AI tool like iatroX or AskTrip for speed, but always verify critical information (like doses and indications) in the BNF or NICE CKS.
- Stay safe with scribes: If your practice is trialling an ambient scribe, insist on seeing the NHSE guidance and your local policy. Never use an unapproved tool with live patient data.