The short answer
In England you don’t need a patient’s explicit consent to use an AI scribe for their care. But NHS England says you must tell them at the start of each appointment and give them a clear chance to say no. If they object, you don’t record.
Most patients want to be asked: 81% in a Healthwatch England survey. The Medical Protection Society says consent should be sought and written down. So the simplest habit is to ask every time and note the answer.
What the guidance says
NHS England’s guidance for clinicians, developed with the Information Commissioner’s Office and the National Data Guardian, says “you do not need to ask for explicit consent” to use an ambient scribe in direct care. The legal basis is implied consent, which is why the next part matters: you “must inform patients” at the start of any session, and if they object you respect it (NHS England, guidance for health and care professionals; Mills & Reeve summary).
Patients expect more than the minimum. In a Healthwatch England and YouGov survey of 4,039 adults in April 2026, 81% wanted professionals to ask for explicit consent before using an AI scribe, and nearly 90% of recent patients didn’t know one had been used (Management in Practice). The Medical Protection Society’s deputy medical director said consent “should be sought from patients before use and this should be documented” (same source).
That guidance is written for England. It doesn’t mention dentistry, but it covers health and care settings generally. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, check with your health board and indemnity provider.
What to say at the chair
Say it before you start recording, in plain words: what the tool does, that you check the notes, how long the recording is kept, and that saying no is fine. This version works for any AI scribe:
“Before we start: I use an AI note-taker. It records our conversation so it can draft my notes, and I check and correct them before anything goes on your record. It doesn’t make any decisions about your care. The recording is deleted after [how long]. You can say no, and I’ll write the notes myself. Are you happy for me to use it today?”
If you use Squte, the app shows this shorter line on screen before every recording, and saves the answer with the visit:
“We use an AI note-taker that records our conversation to write up your notes. It’s kept secure and processed in the UK and EU, and you can say no. Are you happy with that?”
NHS England’s own suggested script is on its guidance page for clinicians. You can adapt any of these to your practice.
Telling patients before they arrive
Healthwatch England recommends telling patients at the point of booking, and suggests posters, the practice website, receptionists and leaflets (Management in Practice). NHS England’s guidance for information governance leads also suggests posters and screens in waiting areas, and leaflets for people without digital access (NHS England, guidance for IG professionals).
“At your appointment, your dentist may use an AI note-taker that records the conversation to draft your notes. You’ll be asked first, and you can say no. More at [practice website link].”
We may use an AI note-taker in your appointment
- It records the conversation so your dentist can draft your dental notes.
- Your dentist checks every note before it goes on your record. The tool makes no decisions about your care.
- We will ask you first. You can say no at any time, and your dentist will write the notes as usual.
- Recordings are kept securely and deleted after [how long]. With Squte: 30 days after your notes are signed.
- Questions? Ask at reception or read our privacy notice: [link].
Your privacy notice
NHS England says information about how you use ambient scribes “must be made available” through your privacy notice (NHS England). Here is a paragraph to start from. Lines marked in green are Squte’s details; swap them for your supplier’s if you use another tool.
AI note-taking. At the start of an appointment, your dentist may ask to use an AI note-taking tool (Squte) that records the conversation and drafts your clinical notes. The dentist checks and corrects every note before it is added to your record. The tool does not make decisions about your care.
Squte processes this information for us. Recordings and notes are stored encrypted on servers in London. Speech is turned into text by Deepgram on its EU service, and the draft note is written by Google’s Gemini model through Google Cloud’s EU service. These companies do not use your information to train AI models. The audio recording is deleted 30 days after your notes are signed; the signed notes and transcript are kept as part of your dental record.
We use this information to provide your care. Our lawful basis is [Article 6 basis] and Article 9(2)(h) of the UK GDPR. You can object at any time, before or during your appointment, by telling your dentist or contacting [practice contact].
On the lawful basis: NHS England names Article 6(1)(e), public task, and Article 9(2)(h), health and care, as the most likely bases for direct care (NHS England, guidance for IG professionals). Public task covers public functions, so a practice treating patients privately should confirm its Article 6 basis with its data protection officer.
If the patient says no
Don’t record. NHS England suggests explaining how saying no could affect the appointment, such as more of your time spent typing, and trying to settle any worries first. If the patient still objects, respect it, and follow your practice’s own procedure for noting objections (NHS England).
“AI note-taker offered and declined by patient. Notes written by [clinician] without a recording.”
With Squte, tapping Declined means nothing is recorded. You type the note, or build it with chairside chips, as you would without Squte. The refusal isn’t stored by Squte, so the line above belongs in your practice record.
Children and adults who lack capacity
For an adult who lacks capacity, NHS England says to check whether someone has legal authority to accept or refuse on their behalf, and whether the patient expressed a view earlier. If neither applies, decide in the patient’s best interests (NHS England).
Neither NHS England guidance page covers children. Use the same approach you take to consent for the child’s treatment, based on their age and understanding, tell whoever is with them, and ask your indemnity provider if you are unsure.
If a patient changes their mind
Patients can object under the UK GDPR at any time, and NHS England expects the tool to let an objection be upheld (NHS England, guidance for IG professionals). In Squte, withdrawing consent for a visit deletes its recording straight away.
“Patient withdrew agreement to AI recording on [date]. Recording deleted.”
Labelling the note
NHS England calls it good practice to show that an ambient scribe was used, for example with a closing line on a letter, or a suffix on the entry where the scribe isn’t built into the clinical system (NHS England). Squte’s notes are copied into your practice system, so add a line such as:
“Drafted with an AI scribe and checked by [clinician].”
What Squte does
- Shows the consent line on screen before every recording.
- The patient’s answer is saved with the visit: the wording used, how it was given and the time. Squte will not transcribe a visit without it.
- If the patient says no, nothing is recorded. You type the note, or build it with chairside chips, as you would without Squte.
- Audio is deleted 30 days after the note is signed. The signed note and transcript stay as the clinical record.
- Deletes a visit’s recording straight away if the patient withdraws consent.
Your practice still decides how it tells patients and records their answers. For the DPIA and safety documents, see the governance pack.
Read next
- Governance pack →What a practice needs before using an AI scribe: Squte’s data flows for your DPIA, a DCB0160 hazard-log starter, and where to find the patient poster and privacy-notice wording.
- Patient data →Where recordings and notes are kept, every company that handles them, and how long audio is kept.
- Is an AI-written dental note defensible? →Who is responsible for an AI-drafted note, what the defence bodies say, and how to review one.
Try it on your own appointments.
Squte is an AI dental scribe for UK dentists. It asks the patient’s consent, records the appointment and drafts a UK 17-section clinical note for the dentist to check, change by voice and sign.
14 days or 100 visits, whichever comes first. Card required, and nothing is charged during the trial. Then from £25 a month, no VAT to add. Cancel before the trial ends and you pay nothing.
General information, not legal, clinical or tax advice. Squte makes AI dental scribe software, so we have an interest in this subject; every fact above links to its source. How we write. Found an error? Email hello@squte.co.uk and we correct verified errors within five working days.