News

Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber has launched a new programme to support the adoption of ambient voice technology across the NHS.

Led by Health Innovation East, the programme is being delivered by all 15 health innovation networks across England, alongside expert partners and in collaboration with NHS England. Together, they are helping NHS organisations deploy AVT safely, integrate it into clinical workflows, and realise productivity and patient care benefits at scale.

Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) converts clinical conversations into documentation such as clinical notes and patient letters. AVT has the potential to reduce administrative burden, release clinician time, improve patient and staff experience and drive increased productivity.

NHS England is bringing the system together around one national AVT initiative with a shared direction, common standards and a consistent evidence base. They are providing funding, guidance, assurance standards and practical implementation support through the Frontline Productivity programme and the AVT centre of excellence.

The Health Innovation Network is translating that national approach into practical implementation support, with help navigating the supplier landscape and developing shared learning and evidence from frontline delivery alongside the Frontline Productivity programme.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, a series of codesign sessions have taken place with partners across the region to identify priorities for support in the adoption of AVT. These helped shape the new programme and a community of practice has been set up, to share learning and provide peer support.

Although real-world evidence of productivity savings in the NHS is limited, early indications are promising.

In Hull, the use of AI scribe Heidi is helping clinicians at the Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre improve note accuracy and reduce time spent on documentation, enabling more quality time with patients.

We commissioned an independent evaluation which found Heidi saves around 3,942 hours on admin annually, equivalent to an estimated £313,484 in staff time per year. 

This video tells the story. Take a look at the final evaluation to find out more

Laura Boyd, Director of Digital Partnerships at Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, said:

“Ambient Voice Technology has the potential to make a real difference to clinicians and patients by reducing the administrative burden associated with clinical documentation and giving healthcare professionals more time to focus on patient care.

“However, meaningful adoption is about more than introducing a new technology. It is about understanding how AVT can work safely and effectively within existing clinical pathways, supporting staff to use it confidently and building a robust evidence base around its impact.

“I encourage colleagues in Yorkshire and the Humber to join our new community of practice to continue sharing and learning.”

Anyone who would like to join the AVT community of practice can email mariam.khan@healthinnovationyh.com

The aim is that by 2028, there will be a clearer understanding of the real-world value of AVT in the NHS and a blueprint for meaningful adoption and use.

AVT support for NHS providers

There are three ways in which providers can access AVT support:

• Through Frontline Productivity funding and associated change management support.
• Through participating in the Network AVT programme.
• Through both Frontline Productivity funding and associated support and participating in the Network AVT programme.

Providers may also choose to implement AVT without accessing any of these support offers. Providers can speak to the Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber team to explore opportunities via the Network AVT programme and their regional NHS England team regarding Frontline Productivity Programme funding.

Discover more about the Meaningful use of Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) in the NHS: Health Innovation Network AVT Programme: Meaningful use of ambient voice technology (AVT) in the NHS – The Health Innovation Network

What next

We will soon be launching a series of webinars to further explore the themes that emerged from the codesign sessions. Dates will be announced shortly.

We are also setting up an AVT Community of Practice, anyone who would like to join can email mariam.khan@healthinnovationyh.com