PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT WE ARE STILL FINALISING THE DPIA FOR THE USE OF ACCURX SCRIBE

Dear practices,

As you are aware, there is a lot of interest into the potential benefits of AI scribes for primary care consultations.  

As a relatively new digital tool that incorporates the use of AI, several concerns have been raised by patients and staff about it’s use.
NHSE have also brough out guidance which practices should also be referring to:
 NHS England » Guidance on the use of AI-enabled ambient scribing products in health and care settings

Therefore, for practices to use these tools, there is a higher level of assurance that we are seeking from the tools we use locally.

A pilot has also been started in NEL to evaluate these tools with 42 practices with the Heidi AI scribe.

Some practices have also been offered to pilot the Accurx AI scribe that has an integration function that is being refined.

With the current funding streams, there is no plan to fund these tools centrally so practices will need to look at the options themselves once any pilot ceases. Where the ICB can support and provide oversight is with the information and clinical governance that is required as oversight.

What the ICB can support with centrally is:

• An overarching DPIA that practices can sign up to and localise as required.
• Support for the clinical safety process to be done at scale so that there is good governance and sharing of hazard risks across all practices.

What practices need to do before using these tools is to seek the following assurances:

• Socialise to their patients some information on “What is an AI scribe” – link here
• Update the practice privacy (transparency) notice to include this paragraph or similar – link here
• Inform the NEL DPO that they wish to use the scribe and agree the DPIA
  • If you have your own DPO, please ask them to liaise with the NEL GP DPO so that we have a record of who is using AI scribes
  • This will be by emailing Itservicedesk.nelicb@nhs.net with the subject “FAO NEL GP DPO – AI Scribe Query”
  • You will then be provided with the DPIA to agree to from an information governance perspective.
    NOTE: THIS IS STILL BEING FINALISED
• Complete the clinical safety process (DCB0160) for the tool
  • to collate information into one hazard log practices can use the services of Bordercross where NEL have an agreement to collate the hazards logs into one repository and can then inform practices of any additional risks. This provides some additional safeguards into the use.
  • Click here to start the process: www.bordercross.health/product-implementation for more details – there is a practice cost to completing this process (£100)
  • As part of this, practices will need to ensure that they carry out regular ongoing post deployment reviews as the AI scribes evolve
• Make staff aware of the DPIA / clinical safety documentation including the hazards before implementing any tool

If you have any further queries, please get in touch!

Thanks.

Dr Osman Bhatti


Documents referenced: