A pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) tool is set to transform NHS consultations, giving clinicians more time to focus on what truly matters—caring for their patients.
After a successful pilot at East Lancashire NHS Hospitals Trust (ELHT), this cutting-edge technology will now be rolled out more widely in the NHS, promising to ease the burden on healthcare staff, enhance productivity and improve patient experience.
Developed by NHS clinicians, the CLEARnotes AI tool automatically listens to and summarises patient consultations in real time, drastically reducing paperwork while ensuring consistency in medical records.
Nurses within pre-operative settings at ELHT, the first to trial the technology, found that it freed up valuable time, allowing them to see more patients and engage more meaningfully during consultations.
Dr John Jeans, consultant anaesthetist and co-founder of The National CLEAR Programme, which drives frontline NHS innovation and has developed the tool, said:
“This is a game-changer for the NHS. Nurses and doctors enter the profession to care for patients, not to be buried under endless paperwork. With this AI tool, we’re giving them back precious time to focus on the people in front of them. Patients feel heard, clinicians feel empowered and hospitals become more productive—it’s a win for everyone.”
“What makes this even more exciting is that the tool has been co-designed with NHS hospital IT professionals and clinicians. This ground-up approach ensures the technology is tailored for our healthcare system, the workforce and our patients.”
The AI tool has been used in 1700 consultations at the trust since the pilot began in September 2024.
Consultations using CLEARnotes are 20% shorter, while long pre-operative consultations are nearly eliminated because clinicians are focusing on patient need rather than navigating the electronic patient record structures.
The tool can boost productivity initially by as much 10% while cutting waiting times and improving patient experience.
Beyond improving efficiency, the AI-generated notes enhances consistency in medical records, ultimately benefiting the entire healthcare system. Feedback from ELHT has already helped refine the tool, ensuring it is optimally designed for NHS needs.
With AI-driven solutions like CLEARnotes, the NHS is embracing the future—one where clinicians can spend less time on admin and more time caring for patients.
ENDS
For more information/interviews please contact:
Name/title/email/phone
ABOUT CLEAR
The National CLEAR Programme is sponsored by NHS England and delivered by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and 33n – a team of NHS clinicians, education specialists and data scientists.
The methodology of CLEAR (Clinically Led workforcE and Activity Redesign) has four key elements – clinical engagement, data interrogation, innovation, and recommendations. This results in recommended new models of care and workforce designed to improve patient care, efficiency and the experience of NHS staff experience.
