Heidi Ambient AI

We’re introducing Heidi to help clinicians take notes during appointments so they can spend more time focused on you: your story, your needs, and your care. Heidi supports our teams with administrative tasks (like preparing notes, letters and forms) so that time in your appointment is spent in conversation, not typing. The aim is not to replace human contact, but to enhance it.

Key Points on this Page

• Heidi helps clinicians take notes during appointments so they can focus on you.
• Notes made using Heidi are reviewed and approved by your clinician before being added to your health record.
• Heidi is UK‑hosted and meets NHS standards.
• It’s your choice whether we use Heidi in your appointment, and your choice won’t affect the care you receive.

What Heidi Does

• Helps clinicians take notes during your appointment and prepare letters or forms where needed.
• Keeps your clinician in control: notes are checked and approved by your clinician before they become part of your health record.

Your choice and control

• You can say no to us using Heidi at any time; this won’t affect the care you receive.
• Your clinician will explain how Heidi helps with note taking and will be able to answer any questions you may have.

Privacy and data security

We take your privacy seriously. Heidi follows UK data protection law and meets NHS data security standards.

The Heidi platform does not store patient data, keep recordings or private information, and it is used to take notes which are then safely and securely transferred to your health record after review by the clinician you speak with in an appointment.

When we use Heidi, you can feel sure that it is

• UK‑hosted: Heidi’s systems are hosted in the UK to support data sovereignty and UK regulatory compliance.
• In line with national safety regulations and frameworks: Heidi meets NHS requirements and standards like UK-GDPR, Digital Clinical Safety (DCB0129), the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) and recognised cyber security certifications (ISO 27001, SOC Type-2, Cyber Essentials Plus).

NHS England guidance supports the careful, supervised use of ambient AI note‑taking tools like Heidi to reduce documentation burden and give clinicians more time with patients. We are adopting Heidi in line with this guidance and our Trust Clinical Safety and Information Governance assurance processes.

How Heidi is different from general or open-source AI tools

• Purpose‑built to deliver and access care: Heidi is a clinical tool procured for the NHS, not a public chatbot or open‑source app. It is used under Trust supervision and governed by NHS standards and policies.
• Your data is protected: Heidi operates within a secure, UK‑hosted environment with controls designed for health data protection and clinical safety. It is not a general web or consumer tool.

Want to know more? Please see our Frequently Asked Questions about what Heidi is and what it isn’t, and about what it does and what it doesn’t do.

Why this matters for the services we provide

Appointments in our services can sometimes involve complex, sensitive discussions. By helping clinicians take notes efficiently and accurately, Heidi supports clear, timely documentation while creating more time for meaningful conversations, the heart of person‑centred care.

Questions? Get Involved

If you have questions about Heidi or would like to share feedback, please speak with your clinician or contact our Patient Advice and Liaison (PALS) team.