Clinicians from East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) shared promising results from a recent pilot at this week’s NHS ConfedExpo, revealing that the use of CLEARnotes – an ambient voice technology (AVT) solution – led to a 14% productivity increase in their nurse-led Perioperative Assessment (POA) service.
In a packed theatre session, the team outlined how the CLEARnotes tool—developed as part of the National CLEAR Programme—enabled an increase in the number of patients seen daily from an average of 55 to 63, without compromising clinical safety or quality of care.
The session also shared that a review of over 6,000 consultations that used the tool found that more than 99% of summaries were near perfect in clinical semantic similarity with engaged clinician approved outputs — setting a new standard for AVT documentation.
The technology works by listening to clinician-patient conversations during consultations and generating structured electronic summaries within seconds, significantly reducing the need for manual documentation.
The six-month pilot, which began in September 2024, aimed to explore the safe integration of AVT into clinical practice, assess user and patient acceptance, and quantify the benefits, risks and overall value of AVT. CLEARnotes was successfully deployed in the trust’s POA service, supported by strong information governance, safety protocols and continuous clinician feedback.
The sustained 14% gain in productivity is seen as a meaningful step in helping trusts to manage rising demand, ease elective care backlogs and relieve workforce pressures.
The tool is being rolled out more widely as part of an NHS England-funded programme launched last year, supporting efforts across the NHS to ease administrative burden, unlock productivity and improve patient experience.
ELHT’s work has also been recognised nationally, with the team shortlisted for the HSJ Digital Awards in the Supporting Elective Recovery through Digital category.
CLEARnotes, developed by 33n and part of the National CLEAR Programme, was co-designed with frontline NHS clinicians to ensure it meets the real-world needs of NHS clinical settings and supports high-quality patient interactions.
Dr Domnic Sebastian, Consultant Anaesthetist, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “CLEARnotes has significantly enhanced how we work. It’s intuitive, time-saving and allows us to spend more time focusing on what really matters—our patients. The tool has improved the way we document within our patient records system, helping us to work more efficiently, reduce stress and enhance the overall quality of care.”
Dr John Jeans, CEO of 33n and NHS Consultant Anaesthetist, added: “East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has been at the forefront of AVT adoption with CLEARnotes, leading the way and embracing and overcoming early adopter challenges. This technology is helping clinicians spend less time on paperwork and more time with patients—supporting better care, better experiences and more productive services.”
