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NHS could save millions of hours a year using AI, pilot shows
A Microsoft Copilot AI trial in 90 NHS organisations found that a national roll-out could save up to 400,000 hours per month
The NHS has trialled the use of Microsoft 365 Copilot with 30,000 NHS workers across 90 organisations, and found the artificial intelligence (AI) personal assistant can contribute significant time savings.
The results of the pilot scheme showed that NHS staff saved an average of 43 minutes per day or more, which means that if the scheme is rolled out nationally, that equates to 400,000 hours per month.
NHS figures estimate that should it reach 100,000 users, it could save millions of pounds every month by using the technology. That money could in turn be used to fund frontline services.
NHS productivity among acute trusts has increased by 2.7% in 2024/25, which is above the 2% yearly target set by the government in its 10-year health plan.
Health innovation minister Zubir Ahmed said that as an NHS surgeon, it can be frustrating 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,” he said.
“Innovations like this will help drive NHS productivity so patients can get the treatment they need sooner and there is better value for taxpayers,” said Ahmed. “We’re making sure every pound is spent on cutting waiting times and boosting care through our plan for change.”
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The NHS is currently halfway through a five-year deal that has seen Microsoft 365’s cloud-based online productivity suite rolled out to 1.5 million health service staff, including Copilot.
The wider government has also been trialling Copilot in the civil service through a pilot where 20,000 civil servants used the AI tool, with the results demonstrating they could save nearly two weeks each annually by using the technology.
The trial used generative AI (GenAI) tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot to assist with everyday tasks, including drafting documents, summarising lengthy emails, updating records and preparing reports.
The results of the trial, published in June 2025, coincided with research from the Alan Turing Institute that reported AI could support up to 41% of tasks across the public sector, offering significant time savings.
Darren Hardman, CEO of Microsoft UK and Ireland, said the NHS trial showed AI has an extraordinary potential to transform healthcare. “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,” he said.
Copilot is available to staff across the whole of the NHS, and is already being used by more than 50,000 staff daily.
Earlier this month, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) also took a big co-pilot leap, investing in 32,000 licences, with plans to scale to 50,000 in 2026, hailing it as the largest Copilot AI roll-out in government.