LJ Acallar
Organic Content Specialist•24 January 2026•4 min read
Fact checked by Rick Zhong
NHS compliance is the adherence of healthcare providers to the patient safety and data privacy guidelines set by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).
Operations in healthcare are fast-paced, and handling sensitive patient information must not be compromised. Requirements must be met for digital systems and services that process health information. For example, organisations in the UK must publish privacy notices and complete the assessment for the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) as a way to protect patients and deliver care ethically.
Ultimately, ensuring a space where patients feel safe and receive proper care is the primary objective of being compliant with the NHS.
As the leading AI care partner in the UK, Heidi is NHS-compliant, with robust systems that uphold the highest security measures and practices. Used by nearly half of all clinicians in the UK and loved by clinicians across 190 countries worldwide, Heidi maintains its confidentiality and integrity while protecting patient information.
Let’s break down what Heidi’s NHS compliance entails for your organisation.
Heidi’s digital health systems uphold safety in each clinical or administrative procedure that processes patient health data. Certified with ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type 2, and Cyber Essentials, Heidi aligns with NHS expectations through continuous monitoring and annual pen tests from an external independent auditor.
Our regulatory attestations are surfaced with transparency in our Trust Centre, along with the full set of documents required for Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs). Our complete records help NHS Trusts make informed decisions in care delivery.
Heidi is composed of clinical safety officers who can offer continuous, accessible support. With AI lowering administrative burden, clinicians in your organisation are empowered to manage data retention and deletion, ensuring human judgment remains central to the process.
Heidi improves care in a wide range of settings, including the Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre in the UK. At the centre, care for the elderly has proven to be more thoughtful and unhurried. With Heidi by the clinicians’ side, care was refocused on patients. David, an 81-year-old patient, happily shared positive sentiments about the team. “They’re all brilliant here,” he reported. “I cannot thank them enough. I wish I’d found it a year ago.”
At Heidi, our goal is to get our product into the hands of every clinician possible and expand our reach and integrate more deeply into the healthcare landscape. To do this, aligning with NHS regulations is essential.
NHS compliance demands rigorous data protection and oversight for clinical safety to assure patients that they can trust healthcare AI tools like Heidi. At Heidi, we ensure that our platform continues to meet evolving national standards like the NHS. Below, let’s take a look at how Heidi is built to operate within this framework.
At Heidi, we complete the NHS DSPT, and we get checked regularly by independent auditors. Controls stay in good working order as these checks can catch and fix issues early and are annually performed.
Heidi maintains NHS compliance by hosting data in the UK, encrypting it in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES‑256), and aligning with DTAC and DCB0129, supported by a named Clinical Safety Officer and a maintained Clinical Safety Case.
Independent assurance comes via annual independent penetration testing, comprehensive audit logging, and active security monitoring, with a strict clinician‑in‑the‑loop model so Heidi never writes directly into the EHR and clinicians approve all outputs.
Heidi integrates with your organisation’s existing systems and workflows, so rollout does not force huge changes in processes. We adhere to NHS guidance and clinical pathways. To help Trusts achieve faster clinical safety approvals, we provide deployment packs containing the necessary evidence commonly requested.
The NHS has its specific set of standards that go beyond GDPR and DPA 2018, especially concerning patient data handling, security, and accessibility. These standards serve a dual purpose: safeguarding patient data and guaranteeing that any new technology effortlessly integrates with the complex ecosystem of other NHS systems.
As your AI care partner that powers over 2 million patient consultations weekly, we at Heidi understand your security concerns, and we’re always open to hearing more from your organisation.
Compliance with NHS guidelines in alignment with its 10-year plan opens the door to broader distribution and integration opportunities within the UK’s public health care system. It also promotes access to a wider network of healthcare facilities and a larger patient base.
This necessitates AI scribe technologies to be both robust and flexible, capable of meeting high standards of accuracy and interoperability prescribed by the NHS.