Can AI assistants transform NHS Care? Dragon Co Pilot is setting an example

With healthcare systems under extreme pressure and an urgent need to reduce waiting times, the NHS is turning to technology to support clinicians and workflows.

Administrative assistants in healthcare can spend up to a third of their time on documentation, an increase of 25 per cent over the last decade.

In a bid to reduce this burden, a trial of Microsoft’s first clinical AI assistant – Dragon Copilot – has been launched in Manchester.

 

The assistant, which integrates with electronic patient records, has been designed to streamline documentation, enabling voice-controlled information retrieval and task automation, such as referrals and prescribing.

The Manchester trial of the technology saw significant time savings and improved patient engagement.

How it works

Speaking to Health Tech World Dr Simon Wallace, chief clinical information officer at Microsoft UK, and Dr Peter-Marc Fortune, chief medical informatics officer at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, say that the assistant can be used across the healthcare system including hospitals, primary care, mental health, community services, and even in a patient’s home.

The Copilot can be accessed as a mobile app or as a desktop version on screen.

“The aim is to address the burden of documentation and administration, which has become a real chore for clinicians over many years,” says Wallace.

“Dragon Copilot is a single voice platform that combines traditional dictation with ambient technology, underpinned by generative AI in a safe and secure cloud network.”

Wallace explains that the copilot streamlines documentation by creating notes at the end of consultations, enables clinicians to surface information quickly by using their voice to interrogate records, and automates tasks such as prescribing, ordering tests and writing referrals or GP letters.

The copilot is also able to store a voice file if internet connection is poor, later generating notes when connection is resumed.

“We always ask patients for permission to record, and some hospitals provide information leaflets to reassure them,” says Fortune.

“The system produces a verbatim transcript and, more importantly, a structured medical note.

“For example, it can automatically translate “shortness of breath” into the formal term “dyspnoea” and “coughing up blood” into “haemoptysis”.

“The system also creates two types of letters automatically: one for the GP in medical language, and one for the patient in plain English.”

Manchester Pilot

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has taken part in the private preview of the first generation of this system, which is now moving to a second version.

“We trialled it across multiple disciplines, including emergency medicine, and received positive feedback from clinicians about the time it saves and the completeness of notes,” says Fortune.

“Patients have also noticed the difference. One long-term patient commented that it was the first time in years she felt her clinician was talking to her throughout the consultation, rather than typing.

“That reflects the wider benefit of clinicians being able to focus on the patient.

“In Manchester we have a compatible product working with Microsoft ambient which shows proof of concept.

“We have partnerships with all the main EPR providers, who can embed it into their workflows. Workflow is key, and integration ensures clinicians get the full value.”

More than an ambient scribe

As well as streamlining documentation and allowing clinicians to interrogate records with their voice, the system is able to integrate with patient records.

“In Manchester we have a compatible system integrated with Microsoft’s platform,” says Fortune.

“The aim is for Dragon Copilot to integrate with any electronic patient record (EPR). We have partnerships with all major EPR providers, who can embed the tool into their workflows – workflow integration is key to realising its value.”

Wallace explains that the pilots are still in the early phases, with the first phase using two platforms.

“We plan to conduct proper time and motion studies as we move into phase two,” says Wallace.

“For the phase two trial, the ambient system will be embedded into the electronic record system to improve workflow. We think that will make a dramatic difference.”

Wallace says that the US data is encouraging, noting that across three million consultations at 600 organisations, clinicians saved around five minutes per consultation.

Alongside a 70 per cent reduction in burnout and fatigue, the Copilot also saw 62 per cent of clinicians say they were less likely to leave their organisation, and 75 per cent felt patient interactions improved.

“Patients themselves also reported better engagement, with over 90 per cent rating the experience positively,” says Wallace.

The future of AI in healthcare

Wallace and Fortune say the adoption of Microsoft’s Dragon Copilot is the start of a big journey for healthcare.

“It will be transformational, but clinicians must see it as a Copilot, not the pilot,” says Wallace.

“They need to keep oversight, check outputs, and understand its role as an assistant. It is like having a junior at your side, but you still need to check everything, so, it will take a few years to realise its full potential.

“The cultural shift is moving from typing to voice. Over time, this will allow clinicians to focus more on patients rather than admin. Ultimately, it could save a third of their working week that is currently spent on documentation.

“It will reduce stress and burnout for clinicians, improve the quality of documentation, and make consultations more personal again. Patients will also benefit from more engaged clinicians, and healthcare systems will benefit from efficiency savings and better continuity of care.”

Integrating this technology into healthcare systems however will present some challenges such as concerns over privacy, trust and regulation.

“Even in pilot stages, we follow strict UK regulations on data storage and processing,” says Walalce.

“There are strict UK regulations on where data is stored and processed.

“We have gone through the NHS England and MHRA regulatory processes. No NHS organisation would adopt this technology unless those criteria were met.”