NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has launched a framework agreement for Digital Dictation, Speech Recognition and Outsourced Transcription services.
The ‘Digital Dictation, Speech Recognition and Outsourced Transcription 2’ framework Agreement will be available for NHS and wider public sector organisations providing access to proven, scalable technologies that address immediate operational pressures whilst supporting long-term digital transformation.
Solutions include both on-site and cloud-based SaaS platforms, covering software, hardware, integration, training, consultancy, and support.
Solutions like ambient voice technology (AVT) and AI-enabled scribing tools will be incorporated into the framework agreement as they become market-ready, subject to validation and compliance with NHS standards.
Traditional dictations transcribes spoken words word-for-word, while AI scribes can passively listen and interpret the context of conversations to create coherent documentation.
Recent trials of ambient voice tools in A&E settings at Great Ormond Street Hospital have seen a 13 per cent increase in patients seen per shift and a 35 per cent reduction in clinicians feeling overwhelmed by notetaking. £176 million has been saved in documentation time, which has unlocked an additional £658 million in annual capacity.
Phillip Wood, principal category manager – Digital Workforce and IT Transformation at NHS SBS said: "Our framework agreement is a strategic enabler for the NHS and wider public sector, offering digital dictation, speech recognition and outsourced transcription solutions that directly support operational efficiency.
"Current tools remain essential components of clinical documentation workflows, delivering proven, scalable solutions that support day-to-day service delivery. As AVT and AI-enabled scribing tools continue to evolve, they are set to complement established systems.
“Together, these technologies form a layered approach to digital transformation, enabling healthcare providers and organisations to match the right tool to the right task whilst maintaining flexibility, accuracy and efficiency across clinical and wider administrative settings.”
