Major NHS trial finds AI can save workers 43 minutes every day

Artificial intelligence can save the NHS millions of hours of staff time each year, the world's largest trial of the technology in healthcare has found. More than 30,000 NHS workers across 90 organisations used Microsoft 365 Copilot to help with tasks such as note-taking and summarising email chains. The productivity tool saved each staff member on average 43 minutes per day - equivalent to five weeks of time per person, per year.

The results suggest a full rollout could save up to 400,000 hours of staff time per month and save the NHS millions of pounds to reinvest in care and frontline services. Health Innovation Minister Dr Zubir Ahmed said: "As an NHS surgeon and clinician, I know how frustrating it can be to be held up by archaic technology that makes day-to-day tasks painstakingly long.

"This partnership with Microsoft will help free up staff from spending time on admin so they can focus on what they want to be doing - treating patients.

"Innovations like this will help drive NHS productivity so patients can get the treatment they need sooner and there is better value for taxpayers.

"We're making sure every pound is spent on cutting waiting times and boosting care through our Plan for Change."

Officials suggest the tool could also save 83,333 hours in note-taking time from one million NHS meetings that take place online using Microsoft's Teams platform every month.

It could also save 271,000 hours a month by summarising complicated email chains.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is now being used by more than 50,000 NHS staff members and is available across the health service.

Darren Hardman, chief executive of Microsoft UK & Ireland, said: "This major trial proves the extraordinary potential of AI to transform healthcare.

"By reducing admin and giving healthcare workers back a reported 43 minutes every day, Microsoft 365 Copilot can help the NHS redirect hundreds of thousands of hours each month towards patient care and potentially save hundreds of millions of pounds every year.

"We're proud to support the NHS in this digital transformation, which shows how AI can reduce time-consuming admin for NHS workers and so improve the quality of patient care."