Aipedia: Nurses and allied health professionals

AI in nursing, midwifery and allied health: rules, risks and indemnity

Aipedia, by the Apex broking team · Last reviewed 2026-10-27

Nurses, midwives and allied health professionals can use AI tools, but neither the NMC nor the HCPC has AI-specific rules yet, so existing standards apply in full. That means the registrant, not the software, stays accountable for records, assessments and decisions.

Part of: AI in nurses and allied health professionals

In short

Nurses, midwives, nursing associates and the 15 HCPC-regulated professions may work alongside AI tools such as scribes, deterioration alerts, triage software, imaging aids, rehab apps and generative AI chatbots. As at October 2026 neither the NMC nor the HCPC has published AI-specific guidance. The NMC Code and HCPC standards on records, competence, confidentiality, delegation and risk apply to AI use, and the HCPC has said so directly. Indemnity is compulsory by statute. NHS employers cover their employees, but self-employed, agency and private work usually needs the registrant's own arrangement, and the main schemes' public pages do not mention AI.

How nurses, midwives and AHPs use AI

AI often reaches nursing and allied health practice through tools an employer has bought, rather than tools a registrant chooses. Examples include:

Records: ambient scribes and handover tools that draft notes from conversations or the electronic record.
Deterioration: predictive alerts layered on early warning scores in electronic observation systems.
Triage: clinical decision support in 111, urgent care and ambulance clinical hubs.
Imaging: auto-positioning, image-quality checks and abnormality flags used by radiographers.
Therapy: movement analysis and exercise apps used by physiotherapists, and speech analysis tools used by speech and language therapists.
Medicines and wounds: eMAR checks, prescribing support and smartphone wound measurement.
Drafting: generative AI chatbots used to write care plans, reports and letters.
Workforce: rostering and acuity tools that recommend staffing levels.

Self-employed practitioners, independent therapists and agency staff may also bring their own tools into practice, which raises separate questions about data protection and indemnity.

Who regulates and what they have said

The NMC regulates nurses, midwives and nursing associates (nursing associates in England only). The HCPC regulates 15 professions, including paramedics, physiotherapists, radiographers, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, dietitians, podiatrists and operating department practitioners (see its standards of proficiency). The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) oversees both and co-chairs a Task and Finish Group on AI with the MHRA.

Body	What it has published on AI	Status
NMC	No AI-specific guidance. Its future standards page says the modernised Code is likely to cover AI; the consultation is due to launch by the end of November.	Code applies now; review pending
HCPC	Research announcement (23 July 2026) stating its standards of conduct, performance and ethics apply to AI use, and promising AI guidance "this autumn".	Standards binding; guidance not yet published as at 27 Oct 2026
CSP	AI and machine learning guidance recommending a DPIA, transparency on data and governance frameworks.	Professional guidance
Society and College of Radiographers	AI policy statement and workforce guidance via its AI Hub.	Professional guidance
PSA	Workshop report (29 Apr 2026) on how to guide and regulate professionals using AI.	Discussion, not rules

On 17 September 2026 the NMC and HCPC both signed a PSA-led Joint Statement of Intent to develop shared, high-level AI principles. The government response to the National Commission on AI in healthcare (6 October 2026) adds that regulators will work with others to clarify professional responsibilities, and that NHS England and NHS Resolution will produce indemnity guidance.

The duties AI touches

Without AI-specific rules, the existing standards do the work. The most relevant are:

Records: NMC Code 10.1 to 10.3 and HCPC standards 10.1 to 10.3 require accurate, prompt, secure records.
Competence: NMC 6.2, 13.3 and 13.5; HCPC 3.1 to 3.5, including keeping up to date with law and guidance.
Confidentiality: NMC 5.1 to 5.2 and 20.10; HCPC 5.1 to 5.2.
Delegation: NMC 11.1 to 11.3; HCPC 4.1 to 4.2.
Risk: NMC 19.1 to 19.2, which mentions human factors and system failures; HCPC 6.1 to 6.2.
Indemnity: NMC 12.1 requires an appropriate arrangement relevant to your scope of practice.

Data law also applies. Section 80 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 restricts solely automated significant decisions based on health data, with safeguards that include human intervention.

The main risks

Similar patterns can arise across professions. An AI-drafted entry is signed without being read. A patient deteriorates without triggering an alert, and the absence of an alert is taken as reassurance. Triage software under-triages and the clinician accepts the disposition. An imaging aid misses an abnormality. A generative AI chatbot invents content in a report, or patient details are pasted into a public tool. Work is delegated to support staff on the assumption that the system will catch problems. We are not aware of any NMC or HCPC fitness-to-practise decision turning on AI use, but the regulators judge conduct against the existing standards, so an AI error is assessed as the registrant's error where the registrant relied on it.

The indemnity position

Indemnity is compulsory by statute for NMC and HCPC registrants under SI 2014/1887. The NMC says cover must suit the role, scope and risks of the work. NHS employers cover their employees, private-sector employer terms vary, and self-employed, agency or consultant work usually needs the registrant's own arrangement. Neither regulator sets a minimum limit.

For NHS trust work, CNST usually handles clinical negligence claims, but state indemnity does not cover private work, regulatory hearings or data protection breaches. The RCN indemnity scheme is "not a policy of insurance" and does not mention AI. None of the NMC, HCPC, RCN or CSP public guidance pages say anything about AI and indemnity, so whether AI-assisted work is covered depends on the wording of each arrangement. See what PI costs for healthcare professionals and whether PI covers AI mistakes.

Aipedia guides for nurses and AHPs

NMC and HCPC on AI: what the regulators have and have not published.
AI scribes and nursing records: keeping AI-drafted notes accurate.
AI early warning and deterioration alerts: escalation when the algorithm is quiet.
AI triage in 111 and urgent care: judgement over decision support software.
Radiographers and AI imaging tools: IR(ME)R and preliminary reporting aids.
Physio AI apps and remote rehab: liability for app-driven programmes.
AI wound and skin image assessment: grading, photos and records.
AI in medicines administration and prescribing: eMAR checks and prescriber indemnity.
Using an AI chatbot to write care plans and reports: hallucinations and confidentiality.
AI in speech and language therapy assessment: accuracy and scope of practice.
Midwives and AI fetal monitoring: computerised CTG and escalation.
AI rostering and safe staffing tools: when the algorithm sets the numbers.
Agency, bank and self-employed staff using AI: different tools, different cover.
Does nurse and AHP indemnity cover AI errors?: employer, scheme and private cover compared.
AI, delegation and support workers: checking delegated AI outputs.

How Apex helps

Apex arranges indemnity for self-employed and independent nurses, midwives and allied health professionals, and for clinics that employ them. A broker reviews your cover against your scope of practice and how the wording treats AI-assisted work; see what to document about AI use.

Sources

Frequently asked

Is there NMC guidance on AI for nurses?

Not yet. As at October 2026 the NMC has no AI-specific guidance. The existing Code applies to AI use, and the NMC says its modernised Code is likely to cover artificial intelligence, with a consultation due to launch by the end of November.

Does the HCPC say its standards apply to AI?

Yes. In July 2026 the HCPC said its standards of conduct, performance and ethics apply to AI use. It also said it would add AI guidance to its Meeting our standards resources in the autumn; none had appeared as at 27 October 2026.

Am I covered if an AI tool contributes to a mistake?

It depends on who you work for and the wording of your arrangement. NHS employers cover employees for NHS work, while self-employed, agency and private work usually needs your own cover. The main schemes' public pages do not mention AI, so check the terms.

Who is accountable if I follow the software?

The registrant is usually accountable for their own clinical judgement, records and decisions, because the NMC Code and HCPC standards apply in full. Employers and suppliers may also carry responsibility, and the government has asked regulators and others to clarify how that is shared.

Check your indemnity covers how you use AI

Tell us about your practice and the work you do. A broker will review how your current cover treats AI-assisted work, or arrange new cover. No fee for a quote. Or call 0117 325 0027.

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Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information about how AI is used in the profession and how insurance may respond. It is not legal, regulatory or insurance advice on your circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.