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Innovative AI-powered technology is set to be used in patient consultations across Hertfordshire and beyond following the largest pilot of its kind in community and mental health services nationally.

We've announced we will be rolling out Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) which transcribes consultations securely in real time and automatically generates draft clinical notes, summaries and letters. Clinicians review and approve all documentation before it is added to the patient record or shared with patients and other healthcare professionals.

More than 1,000 clinicians will gain access to the technology as part of the three-year contract with health technology firm Accurx. The technology is set to support an estimated 250,000 appointments annually. 

The move follows a six-month pilot, during which clinicians rapidly adopted the technology. In the first month alone, 2,500 consultation notes were generated by 120 active users across 13 services. By the end of the pilot, 150 clinicians had used the system to scribe more than 13,000 consultations and generate over 2,000 letters.

 

Elliot Howard-Jones, Chief Executive of Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, said the programme forms part of the organisation’s wider productivity and access strategy.

"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 rollout represents the NHS 10 Year Plan being put into action, with AVT identified as a priority technology to improve productivity, reduce administrative burden and strengthen patient care. The plan encouraged closer collaboration between the NHS and the health technology sector to embed it at-scale.

Across the NHS, Accurx Scribe powered by Tandem is now in use in more than 40 Trusts and is available in 97% of GP practices in England, as organisations look to deploy ambient voice technology in line with national guidance. This includes the recently announced rollout across the University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Group (UHN) - the largest deployment of AVT in NHS secondary care - giving more than 10,000 clinicians access to the technology and supporting around 2.5 million outpatient appointments a year.

Jack Tabner, General Manager at Accurx, said: “We’re proud to be working with Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust as they scale 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.”