We’re always looking for ways to improve your experience when visiting us. That’s why we are starting a trial period with a new system called Heidi AI, powered by Artificial Intelligence, to help clinical staff focus fully on you during your appointment.
What is this system?
It’s an advanced digital assistant that:
- Briefly records your consultation and creates accurate, summarised notes for your health record.
- Helps generate referral letters, medical summaries, or forms more efficiently.
- Allows your clinician to spend more time listening and less time typing.
Why are we using it?
As you can imagine, clinical staff manage a large amount of paperwork and administration. Every consultation or interaction must be typed into the medical record, coded with relevant clinical codes, and often followed up with tasks such as letters, referrals, and reports.
The aim of this trial is to automate some of these tasks, which means:
- More focus on you. Your clinician can give you their full attention, rather than typing as they talk.
- More accurate records. Notes are generated in real time, reducing the risk of missed details.
- Quicker administration. Referral letters and forms can be completed promptly, so you get the right support without delays.
How is my information handled?
Your privacy and confidentiality are our highest priorities. Heidi AI has been approved for NHS use and follows strict UK and NHS data protection standards, including UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, DCB0129, DTAC, and DSPT. Cyber Essentials certified and registered with the Information Commissioners office. It is already being used successfully in other GP surgeries both locally and nationally.
Here’s how your information is protected:
- No permanent recordings. Consultations are transcribed in real time. The audio is processed and then deleted immediately, so no lasting recordings are stored.
- Transcript storage. While audio is never stored, transcripts may be retained briefly for auditing purposes, but only with strict controls and in line with NHS records retention policy.
- Local hosting. Data is securely stored within the UK, in line with NHS requirements.
- Security-first design. Heidi Health uses strong encryption, role-based access controls, and holds certifications such as ISO-27001, SOC 2, and Cyber Essentials.
- Strict access. Only your clinician has access to your consultation notes.
Do I have to use it?
Not at all. If you’d prefer your clinician not to use this system, simply let our reception team or your clinician know before your appointment, and it will be switched off.
We feel that this is an exciting step forward and keen to embrace technology to make areas more efficient and allow for a better experience for our patients and staff.