Microsoft Copilot
- Nurses
- Practice development leads
- Programme leads
Agents, Researcher and Cowork
Act, not just advise — agents follow instructions, use set sources and carry out multi-step tasks.
No patient records — agents must not access patient records or triage systems; involve Information Governance if personal data is in reach.
Owner, sources, checkpoint — give it a named owner and review date, make it cite sources, and require human approval.
Most Copilot use is a conversation: you ask, it answers. Agents go further. They follow instructions, use particular sources and can carry out multi-step tasks. This is where Copilot starts to act, not just advise, and where governance matters most.
How Copilot capability tiers escalate governance
The main types
| Type | What it is | Typical licence |
|---|---|---|
| Simple agents | Copilot set up with fixed instructions and sources, such as an agent that answers questions from your ward's induction pack | Simple agents grounded in instructions and public websites come with Copilot Chat. Agents using work data are pay-as-you-go or need the Premium licence. |
| Researcher and Analyst | Built-in agents for longer research briefings (Researcher) and working with numbers (Analyst) | Premium licence (no separate licence: Microsoft Q&A) |
| Copilot Cowork | Copilot carrying out tasks across Microsoft 365 on your behalf | Premium licence, plus usage-based billing set up by your organisation |
| Copilot Studio agents | Agents built in Microsoft's low-code tool, which can connect to other systems and automate processes | Organisation-managed |
Source: Microsoft Learn, checked November 2026. What you can use depends on your organisation's settings.
A nurse's 5-point checklist before building or sharing an agent
What will it touch?
Published/non-personal material is lower risk. If it can reach personal or patient data, stop and involve Information Governance.
Will it influence care?
Agents must not access patient records or triage systems (NHS England Digital). Clinical decision support requires DCB0129/0160 safety assurance.
Who owns & reviews it?
An agent others rely on becomes a service: it needs a named owner, a review date, and an error reporting route.
Does it cite sources?
Instruct the agent to link to the exact policy document it used and state clearly when information is missing.
Is there a human checkpoint?
Make the agent pause for human approval before anything is sent, saved or changed.
Supervising, not delegating
Think of an agent as a new member of staff you're supervising. You give clear instructions, you check their work, and you remain accountable for what they do in your name. See Build with AI and Governance and safety.
Quick self-check: Supervising Copilot Agents
A practice development nurse wants to create a simple Copilot agent to help new starters find answers from the ward's non-confidential induction pack. Which governance principle is essential before sharing it?