Hertfordshire NHS trust rolls out ambient voice tech

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust is rolling out ambient voice technology to more than 1,000 clinicians, with the system expected to be used in 250,000 appointments a year across its services.

The trust has chosen Accurx Scribe, powered by Tandem, following a six-month pilot described as the largest of its kind in England’s community and mental health services. The software transcribes consultations in real time and produces draft clinical notes, summaries and letters, which clinicians review and approve before anything is added to a patient record or shared more widely.

The deployment is part of a three-year contract and reflects a wider NHS effort to test whether speech-based documentation tools can reduce administrative work. The technology will be introduced across a broad range of clinical services.

During the pilot, 120 active users across 13 services generated 2,500 consultation notes in the first month. By the end of the trial, 150 clinicians had used the system to record more than 13,000 consultations and generate more than 2,000 letters.

Accurx worked with service leads and clinical users during the pilot to support uptake and build templates for specific services. Early use showed sustained adoption among staff.

Julie McCall, Head of Programmes – Digital First, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, said: “As a trust, we have always embraced digital technology – from robotic process automation for referrals to new dental scanner technology for people who cannot travel to clinics.

“The Digital First team works with our clinicians to ensure new technology is used and embedded in a way that improves their working lives, supports patient care and delivers meaningful outcomes.

“This is one of the technologies where we’ve seen an immediate and sustained impact. Clinicians have welcomed it as making a positive difference to their daily practice and interactions with patients.”

The trust is one of the main providers of community-based healthcare in Hertfordshire, serving about 1.2 million people. It employs more than 2,000 staff across services delivered in homes, clinics, schools and community hospitals.

Wider rollout

Use of ambient voice technology is expanding across the NHS as trusts and GP practices look for ways to reduce the time clinicians spend on documentation. Accurx said Scribe is now used in more than 40 trusts and is available in 97% of GP practices in England.

University Hospitals of Leicester and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Group have also announced a rollout of the same technology, covering more than 10,000 clinicians and around 2.5 million outpatient appointments a year. That deployment has been described as the largest use of ambient voice tools in NHS secondary care.

At Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, senior leaders linked the programme to a broader effort to improve access to services and respond to rising demand. Reducing time spent on records and letters could help staff focus more of their working day on patient-facing activity.

Elliot Howard-Jones, Chief Executive, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, said: “Ambient voice technology enables clinicians to be much more present with patients and spend less time completing documentation after appointments.

“Reducing administrative burden for our clinical teams is critical if we are to improve access and respond to growing demand for our services.

“This programme reflects our commitment to adopting pioneering innovation responsibly, in a way that supports staff and improves health outcomes for the communities we serve.”

The move also reflects a national policy push behind the use of AI tools in frontline healthcare administration. The NHS 10 Year Plan identified ambient voice technology as a priority area for improving productivity, cutting administrative load and supporting patient care.

For suppliers, the Hertfordshire deployment adds to a growing list of NHS contracts for speech-based clinical documentation. The market has drawn increasing attention as health systems look for practical uses of artificial intelligence that fit into existing workflows rather than requiring major service redesign.

Jack Tabner, General Manager, Accurx, said: “We’re proud to be working with Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust as it scales this programme. Strong leadership and clinical engagement meant Scribe was introduced in a way that frontline teams could adopt quickly and confidently.

“When implemented properly, ambient voice technology improves productivity, strengthens the quality of care and reduces administrative pressure on staff, giving them precious time back. Hertfordshire is showing how that impact can be delivered at scale.”