Best AI Scribe for GPs in Australia (2026 Comparison)

What GPs Should Look For in an AI Scribe

Before comparing specific platforms, it is worth establishing what actually matters when choosing an AI scribe for general practice. Not every feature that looks impressive on a marketing page translates into real value during a busy clinic day.

Notes Structured to the MBS Item

This is arguably the most important consideration for Australian GPs. Your clinical documentation is the primary evidence that supports your Medicare claims. If you are billing item 23 for a standard consultation, item 36 for a long consultation, item 44 for a prolonged consultation, or any of those items for a GP mental health treatment plan review (the AN.0.56 review pathway, since the dedicated review item 2712 was retired), your notes must demonstrate the clinical content, complexity, and time that justify the item number.

An AI scribe that generates generic SOAP notes without understanding MBS requirements is a liability, not an asset. The right platform should produce notes that align with MBS descriptors, include the clinical detail required for each item level, and be structured to match what the MBS item asks you to record.

Look for platforms that offer MBS-specific templates and understand the difference between a Level B and Level C consultation in documentation terms.

Australian Data Storage

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have obligations regarding where your patients' health information is processed and stored. An AI scribe that sends your consultation recordings to servers in the United States or Europe introduces jurisdictional risk. If something goes wrong, you bear responsibility under APP 8 for cross-border disclosure.

Prioritise platforms that store and process data within Australia. This is not just a compliance checkbox — it also means lower latency, which matters when you are generating notes between patients.

Speed and Workflow Fit

GPs work under relentless time pressure. If your AI scribe takes two minutes to generate a note, that defeats the purpose when you have patients booked every ten minutes. The ideal tool fits into the gaps between consultations — either through rapid dictation mode for quick notes or ambient recording for longer consultations.

Consider whether you need dictation (post-consult summary), ambient recording (live capture), or both. Most GPs benefit from having both options available: dictation for straightforward acute presentations and ambient recording for complex or lengthy consultations like CDM reviews.

Pricing That Reflects GP Reality

General practice operates on tight margins. Many GPs are already paying for practice management software, medical indemnity, CPD, and various other professional expenses. An AI scribe that costs $200 or more per month needs to deliver substantial time savings to justify its price tag.

The best value comes from platforms that offer flexible pricing tiers so you can match your plan to your actual usage.

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The Platforms Compared

Grounded Scribe — From $19/month (Free Tier Available)

Grounded Scribe is an Australian-built AI documentation platform designed for healthcare practitioners across all disciplines, with specific features tailored for general practice.

GP-Specific Features:

• MBS-compliant note templates covering items 23, 36, 44 (with the AN.0.56 MHTP review pathway), 965 / 967 (the post-1-Jul-2025 GPCCMP framework), and chronic disease management allied health items (10953 Exercise Physiology, 10954 Dietetics, 10958 Occupational Therapy, 10960 Physiotherapy, 10970 Speech Pathology). Templates auto-structure notes to meet MBS descriptor requirements for each item level.
• SOAP and RACGP format support — generate notes in the standard formats GPs use daily.
• Dictation mode for quick between-patient notes (5 to 20 minutes depending on plan). A 60-second dictation of a standard consult produces a complete structured note.
• Ambient recording for longer consultations — CDM reviews, health assessments, mental health plans. The AI captures the entire consultation and structures the clinical content.
• Notes structured to the MBS item — structured to match what the MBS item asks you to record, including the clinical detail, complexity indicators, and time references.
• Healthcare-grade AI transcription optimised for medical terminology, including Australian medication brands and clinical vernacular.
• Looking for phone answering as well? Salutant, our sister product, is an AI receptionist with its own plans.

Pricing:

All plans include unlimited clinical assessments (PHQ-9, GAD-7, K10, DASS-21, and more), all note templates including MBS templates, and Australian data storage. The 14-day free trial requires no credit card.

For a GP seeing 30 to 40 patients per day across five days, the Pro plan ($69/month) at 120 sessions comfortably covers a full-time workload. The Plus plan ($19/month) suits part-time GPs or those transitioning to AI documentation.

Value for GPs: weigh the plan price against the note-writing time it gives back in your own week; the free plan lets you measure that first.

For full pricing details, visit Grounded Scribe Pricing.

Lyrebird — Approximately $200 to $300/month

Lyrebird is one of the most established AI scribes in the Australian medical market. Their primary strength for GPs is deep integration with practice management systems like Best Practice and Medical Director. Notes can flow directly into the patient record without manual copy-pasting.

Strengths:

• Strong EMR integration with Best Practice and Medical Director
• Established reputation in the Australian GP market
• Medical terminology accuracy
• Real-time ambient recording during consultations

Considerations:

• Premium pricing — approximately $200 to $300 per month depending on the plan
• The EMR integration adds genuine value, but only if you use Best Practice or Medical Director
• No free tier available for testing before committing
• No built-in clinical assessment tools

For GPs who rely heavily on Best Practice or Medical Director and need notes written directly into the EMR, Lyrebird's integration may justify the higher price. For GPs who copy-paste notes or use other practice management systems, the price premium is harder to justify.

For a detailed comparison, see Grounded Scribe vs Lyrebird.

Heidi — $99/month (Free Tier Available)

Heidi has built a significant user base across Australian healthcare, including general practice. They offer a polished interface and good transcription accuracy.

Strengths:

• Free tier with unlimited sessions using default templates
• Clean, intuitive interface
• Growing EMR integration support (Best Practice, MedicalDirector, Cliniko)
• Broad profession support

Considerations:

• Advanced features (custom templates, document generation, AI assistant) require "Pro Actions" — limited to 10 per month on the free tier
• Full feature access requires the Pro plan at $99 per month
• The Together plan ($99/user/month) adds team features and native EMR integration
• No dedicated MBS-compliant templates with item number alignment

Heidi's free tier is generous for basic note generation, but GPs who need MBS-specific documentation, custom templates, or advanced features will quickly hit the Pro Action limit and need to upgrade to $99 per month.

For a detailed comparison, see Grounded Scribe vs Heidi.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The EMR Integration Question

For many GPs, the elephant in the room is EMR integration. Lyrebird and Heidi offer direct integration with Best Practice and Medical Director, allowing notes to be written directly into the patient record. This is a genuine time saver — it eliminates the copy-paste step.

However, it is worth putting this in perspective. Copying and pasting a generated note into your PMS takes approximately 5 to 10 seconds. Over 30 patients, that is 2.5 to 5 minutes of total additional time. The question is whether that 5 minutes justifies paying $100 to $200 more per month.

For high-volume practices where every second counts, direct EMR integration may be worth the premium. For most GPs, particularly those working part-time or in smaller practices, the time difference is negligible compared to the cost difference.

Grounded Scribe focuses on generating the highest-quality notes possible, formatted and structured for the way Australian GPs actually document. Direct EMR integration is on the development roadmap, and you can get started today without waiting for it.

GP Workflow: A Practical Example

To make this concrete, here is how a typical morning clinic session looks with Grounded Scribe:

8:30 AM — First patient (acute URTI, Item 23)

Record a 45-second dictation after the patient leaves. Note generated in seconds. SOAP format, MBS-compliant. Copy into your PMS. Total extra time: under 2 minutes.

8:45 AM — Second patient (diabetes review under a GPCCMP, GP billing Item 36 — the dietitian visit later in the week is what bills CDM Item 10954)

Start ambient recording as the patient sits down. 20-minute consultation captured in full. AI generates a structured CDM review note with all relevant domains covered, ready to feed into a 967 review claim if the timing has been met. Review takes 30 seconds. Total extra time: under 1 minute.

9:10 AM — Third patient (mental health review, billed under Item 36 with AN.0.56 timing)

Ambient recording captures the therapeutic conversation. The AI structures the practitioner's documented observations into the note template sections required for mental health treatment plan reviews, including presenting issues, risk assessment, treatment progress, and plan — all of which the practitioner reviews and confirms.

Between patients — Quick dictation for a phone call follow-up

A 30-second dictation captures a brief phone consultation. Dictation mode produces a concise file note.

By lunchtime, all morning notes are complete, reviewed, and in your PMS. No after-hours documentation. No stack of unfinished notes waiting at the end of the day.

Looking for phone answering as well? Salutant, our sister product, is an AI receptionist with its own plans.

Choosing the Right Plan for Your Practice

Part-time GP (2 to 3 days, 15 to 20 patients/day): The Plus plan ($19/month) with 30 sessions comfortably covers your workload. Use dictation for quick consults and ambient recording for longer ones. At $19 per month, this is less than a single patient rebate.

Full-time GP (4 to 5 days, 30 to 40 patients/day): The Pro plan ($69/month) with 120 sessions handles a full-time workload. MBS templates are structured to match what each item asks you to record.

High-volume practice (40+ patients/day): The Max plan ($99/month) with unlimited sessions and extended dictation length (20 minutes) covers the busiest clinics without ever hitting a limit.

Not sure yet? Start with the free tier — 10 sessions per month, no credit card required. Test the MBS templates, try both dictation and ambient recording, and see how it fits your workflow before committing to a paid plan.

The Bottom Line

The best AI scribe for Australian GPs in 2026 depends on your priorities:

• If EMR integration with Best Practice or Medical Director is non-negotiable and you are willing to pay a premium for it, Lyrebird is worth evaluating.
• If you want a free tier to test before committing and are comfortable with basic templates, Heidi's free plan is a reasonable starting point.
• If you want MBS templates structured to match each item, Australian data storage, pricing from $19/month, and unlimited assessments (with dictation and ambient recording on all plans), Grounded Scribe is built for that.

The note-writing time an AI scribe gives back is time you can reinvest in patient care, professional development, or simply going home at a reasonable hour.

Start your 14-day free trial — no credit card required, full access to MBS templates and all features.

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