Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology's press release entitled AI to cut paperwork to free up doctors’ time for patients, published on 16 August 2025, if he will make an estimate of the time saved per patient discharge.

The Department does not hold a single national figure for time saved per patient discharge across all National Health Service settings. However, trials referenced in the Department’s press release of 16 August 2025 and subsequent trials indicate that the use of ambient voice technology and other artificial intelligence-enabled tools can significantly reduce administrative burden. For example, one London-wide trial found that ambient voice technology reduced time spent on paperwork by approximately 51.7%, equating to an average saving of approximately six minutes per patient discharge summary. These figures are indicative and will vary depending on local implementation and clinical context.