TLDR: A new report by OneAdvanced indicates that the widespread adoption of AI agents in NHS GP practices could generate £75 million in annual savings and free up the equivalent of 150,000 additional GP appointments each week. The Clinical Coding Agent and Clinical Summarisation Agent automate administrative tasks, reducing workload and allowing clinical staff to focus more on patient care.
The National Health Service (NHS) stands to gain significantly from the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) agents within its general practice framework, according to a recent report by software supplier OneAdvanced. The study projects that a national rollout of these AI-powered tools could lead to an impressive £75 million in annual productivity savings and facilitate an additional 150,000 GP appointments every week across England.
The report highlights two key AI agents developed by OneAdvanced: the Clinical Coding Agent and the Clinical Summarisation Agent. These tools are designed to automate the management and processing of incoming clinical documents, a task that currently consumes a substantial portion of GP teams’ time. The Clinical Coding Agent works by proposing accurate SNOMED codes, thereby enhancing the quality and consistency of patient records. Concurrently, the Clinical Summarisation Agent extracts crucial information from correspondence, providing concise summaries for staff review, which accelerates decision-making and reduces manual workload.
Piloted in 143 early-adopter GP practices, the AI agents have already demonstrated tangible benefits. The report indicates that 95% of users within these practices reported improved workflows and significant time savings during the initial adoption phase. This real-world evidence underscores the potential for these technologies to alleviate the considerable administrative burden faced by general practice teams, allowing clinical staff to dedicate more time to direct patient care.
Ric Thompson, Senior Vice President of Health and Care at OneAdvanced, emphasized the strategic integration of these tools, stating, “By embedding AI Agents into the system practices already rely on and trust, we’re giving GPs the tools to work smarter, not harder – delivering measurable benefits to both the NHS and patients.” The AI agents are built upon OneAdvanced’s established GP Document Workflow software, formerly known as Docman, which is already utilized by over 2,500 GP practices across the UK, ensuring a seamless integration into existing systems.
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This initiative comes at a critical time for the NHS, which is grappling with increasing demand for services, a declining number of GP practices, and persistent resource strains. The findings suggest that automation technology can play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges, transforming administrative processes, and ultimately improving both efficiency and patient access to care.
