Regulators Pioneer Fund report: Ambient voice technology in regulatory practice (CQC, 10 September 2026)

Summary

The Regulators’ Pioneer Fund from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology awarded funding to the Care Quality Commission to test the use of ambient voice technology (AVT) during regulatory assessments. 

The aim of the project was to explore how AVT could support CQC assessment activities beyond how service providers use it when delivering care to patients.

Content

The project started in October 2025, with one software provider Beam, through G-Cloud. (Beam developed the Magic Notes platform) The pilot took place across services in three healthcare sectors that CQC regulates: primary care and community services, oral health services and hospitals. The technology was used to record interviews with people carried out during inspections and assessments of service providers.

A 3-month feasibility study ran until May 2026. During this time, inspectors and operations managers used 23 licences on inspections/assessments and recorded more than 149 hours of interviews.

The majority of those participating in the pilot found the tool helpful and easy to use. They said that using AVT improved: 

• engagement and rapport with interviewees

• the depth of captured evidence

• wellbeing, as it reduced administrative burden at notetaking, and at the report writing stage. 

Several recommendations have emerged from the pilot. Firstly, the overwhelming feedback from all internal and external stakeholders was that AI should only be used to support regulatory decision-making, with responsibility for judgements remaining with inspectors. Second, we should test AVT further, to ensure that any future AVT solution fully meets the needs of participants. This should include evaluation of options, application, and value for money as part of the discovery phase, both in operational sectors and other departments not covered within the pilot that rely on collecting and analysing large unstructured data. 

Overall, the findings suggest that AVT has the potential to improve inspection practice by reducing administrative burden, improving evidence capture, and supporting the wellbeing of inspectors through better efficiency. Confidence in, and acceptance of, the technology increased throughout the pilot. The majority of inspectors said they would like to continue using AVT, and many felt it helped improve interactions with providers. However, successful wider implementation will depend on:

• improving technical reliability

• strengthening governance, auditability and legal assurance

• standardising quality assurance processes

• enhancing templates and workflows for specialist inspection sectors

• strengthening processes and training consent, data security and appropriate use of AVT.

• maintaining professional judgement as central to inspection decision-making, with AVT acting as a supporting tool rather than a replacement.