AI will reshape general practice – and the digital transformation leads (DTLs) who understand it will be the ones driving improvement, writes Cheshire GP Dr Neil Paul..
AI is no longer something we can treat as experimental or optional. It has already arrived inside NHS systems, often quietly, and it is beginning to change how clinicians work, how admin flows and how decisions are supported.
For DTLs, knowledge of AI is no longer a future need, it is an immediate, emerging expectation from the practices and GPs you deal with. AI literacy is becoming as fundamental as understanding digital telephony, online access or data improvement. DTLs who understand AI will shape how their practices adapt; those who don’t risk being left out or dismissed.
AI is not magic. It is simply technology trained to recognise patterns, summarise information or generate content in ways that previously required human time and attention. It cannot replace clinical judgement, but it can reduce the cognitive and administrative burden that regularly overwhelms general practice and it has the potential to improve patient care, reduce burnout and improve access, quality, productivity and profitability.
AI is already helping – including in my own practice
I’ve been using AI in my own clinical work in various forms initially as an experiment, but now as a routine part of my day. During consultations, Lexacom ambient AI helps me take better notes and concentrate on the patient. It has dramatically sped up referrals, saving secretarial time – while also impressing a local consultant with its information.
ChatGPT, Claude and Cursor help me with documents, writing code to deliver a QI scheme and I’ve been using them to support planning, analyse data, generate standard operating procedures and sharpen documents. These tools don’t replace thinking, they accelerate the admin wrapped around it.
Many GPs, nurses, practice managers and reception teams are starting to find the same. Meanwhile, Microsoft Copilot, now available in a limited free version to NHS staff, is introducing AI features into the everyday productivity tools practices already rely on. Even Google AI is making searches better. I introduced one of my colleagues to Medwise AI the other day and she has already used it 50 times to help with advice and guidance and pathways.
The point is clear: AI adoption is happening around practices and inside their systems, even if they haven’t formally ‘introduced’ it. This is exactly why DTLs need to be ahead of this curve.
Why AI knowledge is becoming a core skill for DTLs
AI touches everything: documentation, coding, workflow optimisation, patient communication, triage, reporting, analytics, recall systems, even rota planning. It changes how staff interact with digital tools and what those tools can achieve.
DTLs don’t need to be AI engineers — but they do need to understand enough to:
- recognise where AI can offer genuine value
- challenge suppliers on safety, governance and claims
- support practice teams to use tools well
- advise on workflow impact and training
- evaluate risks and mitigations
- translate system expectations into practical local action
The modernisation of primary care is already running through AI-enabled processes. DTLs who can confidently guide this will shape their practices’ readiness for what comes next.
Clinical safety: why DTLs must understand the basics
As AI becomes embedded in clinical and administrative workflows, the safety landscape becomes more complex. Tools that influence triage, documentation or clinical decisions may fall under medical device regulation. Those processing patient data must comply with GDPR, lawful basis, transparency and model behaviour safeguards.
I have trained as a clinical safety officer (CSO) and my company now runs a service providing CSO support for practices. But even with external support, practices cannot delegate all responsibility.
They must still understand:
- how AI interacts with workflow
- what could go wrong and how harm might occur
- what mitigations are required
- how to respond if the system behaves unexpectedly
DTLs don’t need to write hazard logs themselves, but they do need to understand enough to advise the practice, recognise risk, and make sure the right governance is in place.
This is no longer optional knowledge, it is becoming part of the professional expectation.
Five things DTLs should be doing now
1. Get familiar with AI through your own work
Using AI yourself, for drafting, summarising, planning or analysis. It’s the fastest way to understand its strengths, limits and quirks.
2. Map where AI is already appearing in the practice
Many existing systems now include AI features that aren’t yet being used. Understanding them builds credibility and avoids missed value.
3. Identify high-impact, low-risk opportunities
Start with documentation, coding, letter drafting and workflow redesign. These deliver the biggest gains with the least complexity.
4. Engage the governance side early
Work with the clinical safety officer, information governance lead, practice manager and clinicians before deploying anything. Speak to my team! Attend our free webinars. AI requires upfront clarity, not retrospective firefighting.
5. Demonstrate real benefit
Track time saved, quality improved, staff satisfaction or backlog reduction. Without measurement, AI’s value remains invisible.
The DTL role is evolving – fast
AI won’t replace clinicians or managers. But it will reshape general practice and the professionals who understand it will be the ones driving improvement, protecting safety and creating capacity.
DTLs who embrace AI literacy now will become essential strategic leaders in the next phase of primary care. Those who ignore it risk being left behind.
AI is not the future anymore. It is the present.
Dr Neil Paul is a GP partner in Cheshire, clinical director for SMASH PCN and co-owner of Howbeck Healthcare.