East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT), through the National CLEAR Programme, is inviting NHS acute, community and mental health trusts to submit expressions of interest for a fully funded six-month deployment of CLEARnotes, an ambient voice technology designed to reduce documentation burden and improve clinician–patient interaction.
The NHS-hosted pilot provides a structured, clinically governed opportunity for organisations to evaluate ambient voice technology safely, with no upfront cost and no financial risk during the pilot phase.
Participating trusts will be able to deploy CLEARnotes in up to three services, enabling a practical and low-risk approach to improving productivity while protecting time between clinicians and patients.
The pilot is designed to support safe, measurable and sustainable adoption of AI technologies in healthcare settings. Rather than operating as a standalone software trial, the programme provides participating organisations with:
- Clinical engagement from day one
- Robust governance and patient safety frameworks
- Structured implementation and optimisation support
- Clear evaluation of productivity and service impact
Tony McDonald, Chief Integration Officer at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Innovation in the NHS must be grounded in safety, evidence and real-world impact. By hosting this fully funded pilot, we are enabling trusts to evaluate CLEARnotes in a structured way, ensuring that any future adoption is driven by demonstrated value and aligned to NHS governance standards.”
The six-month deployment is fully funded for participating organisations. During the pilot period, potential gain-share models will be explored collaboratively. Any future payment structure would be directly linked to demonstrated impact beyond the pilot phase, ensuring long-term sustainability is aligned to proven benefits for clinicians and patients.
Organisations that have already deployed CLEARnotes with support from the CLEAR team are reporting measurable improvements to productivity. At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, the nurse-led pre-operative department has achieved a 14% improvement in productivity while The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust’s pre-operative service has demonstrated a 25% productivity increase within a clinic.
More information and how to apply
We are hosting a webinar on Thursday 16 April, 12:30 – 13:30 to provide more information about this opportunity and to answer any questions – you can register for the webinar here.
More information about this opportunity can be found here. The deadline for applications for this first cycle is Thursday 30 April.
