Ambient voice technology: what's next for health and care?

Ambient voice technology (AVT) sometimes called ‘AI scribes’, is already here and moving fast.

They offer a rare opportunity to support those working across health and care who are balancing administrative demands with the delivery of high-quality care. Leaders piloting AVT have emphasised that staff are excited to try a technology that could improve working conditions and patient care by reducing documentation burden and cognitive load.

The policy and funding signals are also clear, with the government’s announcement of a £10 billion investment in NHS technology and data, and following several large-scale pilots, there are now national expectations for widespread rollout in the NHS,  and local systems are rapidly procuring AVT tools. 

But technology alone will not deliver transformation. The success of these plans will depend just as much on the people as on the technology itself. The most successful implementations are about far more than introducing new technology. They require changes to the way people work, support for staff adopting new ways of working, and a clear focus on improving care rather than simply digitising existing processes.

So, what do leaders need to know, and how can AVT support an AI-enabled health and care system that works for people?

The question is no longer whether AVT will be adopted. The challenge now is understanding how to make it work well.

This King's Fund event will explore:

• What can those working in health and care learn from organisations already using AVT?
• How should leaders approach governance, regulation and patient trust?
• Where are benefits being realised in practice?
• What will it take to move from early adoption to widespread, sustainable use?

This conference will bring together those shaping, implementing and using AVT across health and care to share practical experience, examine what good looks like in practice and explore how organisations can turn early enthusiasm into lasting change.

Register