AI That Listens: How Ambient Voice Technology is Transforming the NHS Frontline

The NHS is under immense pressure: staff shortages, rising demand, and rising administrative burdens are pushing clinicians to their limits. Documentation alone consumes up to 30–40% of a clinician’s day - time that could be spent with patients. This session will explore how ambient voice technology (AI scribes) is being used in NHS hospitals to tackle this challenge. Drawing on live deployments in frontline settings, Dr John Jeans will share evidence of 14–25% productivity gains, as well as the human impact: clinicians reporting less stress, more time with patients, and improved work-life balance. Crucially, the session will look beyond efficiency. It will examine what it takes to embed AI safely and ethically in healthcare - the role of clinician engagement, data standards, and the need for scalable approaches that support both workforce wellbeing and patient care. This is not about future potential; it is about what is happening now inside one of the world’s most complex healthcare systems. Attendees will leave with practical insight into how AI can genuinely help frontline staff, while meeting the NHS’s expectations for safety, compliance, and trust.