Artificial intelligence is already reshaping NHS roles, skills and ways of working, according to a new report commissioned by NHS England London Region.
Beyond productivity: AI and NHS workforce implications finds workforce planning, governance and training must keep pace with how AI tools are being used in practice, from administrative processes to clinical documentation.
The report explores the impact of non-clinical AI and ambient voice technology on the NHS workforce in London. It was developed by the three London Health Innovation Networks, UCLPartners, Health Innovation Network South London and Imperial College Health Partners, drawing on published evidence and insight from NHS leaders, clinicians, operational teams and workforce representatives.
The publication comes as NHS England has announced plans to accelerate AI adoption across healthcare services, providing 505,000 clinicians and support staff with access to Microsoft 365 Copilot. The roll out is expected by October 2026 and is intended to support administrative work and free up more time for patient care.
Against this backdrop, it argues that the NHS conversation on AI needs to move beyond productivity alone. While AI can help reduce administrative burden and release time for patient care, its impact on staff and organisations is more complex.
Rather than simply reducing work, AI can redistribute it. The report highlights new responsibilities for staff around checking, validation, professional judgement, accountability and oversight. It says these changes need to be reflected in workforce planning, role design, professional development and how the NHS measures the value of AI.
Planning for AI-enabled work
AI tools are increasingly being used across NHS settings to support day-to-day tasks, often in response to immediate workload pressures. But adoption is moving faster than organisational readiness, with staff and teams using tools before workforce models, governance arrangements and training approaches have fully adapted.
The report calls for a more workforce-centred approach to AI adoption, including clearer governance and ‘permission to use', better measures of productivity and value, support for staff development and stronger shared learning across London's NHS.
Ilias Zapantis, director of Futures at UCLPartners, said: ‘AI is not simply reducing work, it is redistributing it. As new responsibilities emerge around oversight, judgement and accountability, workforce planning, role design and capability development must keep pace with the realities of AI-enabled work.
At UCLPartners, our Futures work is about helping partners make sense of what is coming and turn complex signals into practical insight. We hope this report helps NHS leaders look beyond productivity and think more clearly about what AI adoption means for staff, services and patients.
In the report's foreword, Dame Caroline Clarke, regional director for London, NHS England, says: ‘AI is no longer a future consideration for the NHS. As this work demonstrates, it is already being adopted across organisations and teams, often in response to very real operational pressures.'
She adds: ‘The report reinforces that successful adoption will depend not only on technology itself, but on leadership, workforce engagement, trust and clear governance.'
The report was commissioned by NHS England London Region and is being published by UCLPartners on behalf of the London Health Innovation Networks.
The findings will be discussed at NHS ConfedExpo as part of the panel session, From task automation to workforce transformation: what non-clinical AI means for the NHS workforce, on Thursday 11 June.
Read the report: Beyond productivity: AI and NHS workforce implications
