Is your AI scribe approved?

What these tools are

Ambient voice technology (AVT) listens to a conversation, transcribes it and drafts a summary, letter or report. Used well it can save clinicians real time and several tools have been through proper assurance.

Why approval matters

In 2025 NHS England published guidance on ambient voice technology and national media reported that some clinicians were using tools that did not meet the standards expected of them. The concerns raised were consistent:

• Confidentiality and data protection. Patient conversations are some of the most sensitive data there is.
• Clinical safety. Errors in a draft can reach the patient record if nobody checks it.
• Regulation. Under MHRA guidance published in July 2026, tools used only to transcribe, summarise or draft letters are generally not medical devices. Tools that support diagnosis or treatment, or that take action without clinician review, are. Read our summary of the guidance.
• Accuracy of the record. Clinicians remain responsible for reviewing and approving what the tool produces.

Hallucinations and the signed report

AI tools can produce text that was never said, often called hallucinations. The wording usually looks fluent and confident, which makes it hard to spot on a quick read. In a medico-legal report the author signs the document and may be questioned on it, so the responsibility stays with you and not with the software.

Questions worth asking

• Is the tool approved for use by your organisation and does it meet the standards set out in current NHS England guidance?
• Where is the audio processed and stored?
• Who is accountable if the output is wrong?
• How will the draft be checked before you sign it?

A practical approach

Use only tools you are entitled to use and keep a human check in the process. For high-stakes reports that check should include listening to the original audio, because that is the only way to be sure the record matches what was said. That is what our AI report validation service does and our review service proofreads and formats the draft for readability.

Sources

1. NHS England: Guidance on the use of AI-enabled ambient scribing products in health and care settings (version 2)
2. MHRA: MHRA clarifies regulatory status of ambient voice technologies used in the NHS, GOV.UK, 29 July 2026

Related services

• AI report validation: your report checked against the original audio
• AI report review: read, formatted and proofread
• Medico-legal transcription: your dictation typed by UK-based transcribers