London Ambulance Service (LAS) NHS Trust has shared outcomes from AI pilots including ambient voice and AI training simulation for staff, along with future ambitions for digital and data, and planned collaborations with the Southern Ambulance Services Collaboration (SASC) on shared infrastructure, cyber security, and more.
A one-year pilot of Tortus AI ambient voice technology is underway across LAS’s clinical hub and ambulance operations, following a successful proof of concept trial funded by the Frontline Digitisation Fund. “The initial trial, supported by a research study led by Great Ormond Street Hospital, demonstrated strong technical performance and measurable improvements in clinical communication and documentation accuracy,” it states. Pilots at locations including Croydon and Ilford are demonstrating improvements in patients per shift and on-scene to handover times.
Another proof of concept is being conducted with Kaiwa’s AI training platform, an AI-powered conversational simulation tool to enhance emergency call taker training. Combining natural language processing and synthetic voice technology to simulate 999 calls, the trust reports that the tool enables trainees to “practice complex scenarios in a controlled environment”, with early positive feedback being received. A simultaneous trial of an alternative product at South Central Ambulance Service will facilitate a comparison to inform future procurement decisions.
A number of improvements have also been made around infrastructure, with the trust highlighting its renewal of core digital infrastructure and data centre improvements. The stabilisation of reporting and warehouse capability has enabled “more reliable” real-time performance dashboards for control and operations, it shares, whilst the continued rollout of AI tools and automation is being tracked to measure benefits in clinical and operational productivity. An AI & Automation Policy and Acceptable Use Procedure has been presented to the Digital & Data committee for approval, with the aim of establishing “clear principles for safe, ethical and effective use of AI technologies across LAS operations”.
LAS is planning digital innovation delivery workshops to support business planning, bringing together digital teams and frontline staff in four sessions covering call handling for 999 and 111, clinical assessment services, ambulance operations, and corporate services. The result, the trust hopes, will be a shared five-year digital innovation vision to be aligned with LAS’s digital strategy, along with a prioritised innovation roadmap, and a “defined model for rapid digital experimentation and sector-wide scaling”.
A Digital & Data restructure, with implementation planned for January 2026, will put in place clear operating principles focused on user experience and agile delivery, with key elements such as increased operational resilience through a 24/7 IT Operations Centre. Training and upskilling will be prioritised to help build workforce capability for emerging technologies.
Nine major infrastructure projects are underway to reduce critical IT failure risk, with the trust recording “notable reductions in incidents and improved system stability”. CAD and Windows 11 upgrades have been completed successfully, strengthening system stability and operational resilience, addressing critical vulnerabilities and delivering 3,400 upgraded PCs and laptops across 70 LAS locations.
Also shared are updates on LAS’s strategic collaboration with four partner ambulance trusts: EEAST, SWAST, SCAS, and SECAMB under the Southern Ambulance Services Collaboration (SASC). SASC aims to deliver shared digital capabilities and infrastructure, and is looking to collaborative procurement, with a joint business case in development for Tortus AI across all five trusts to reduce costs and increase benefits through economies of scale. LAS has gifted 5,000 pilot hours to SWAST, SECAMB, and EEAST to help with evaluation.
Netcompany have been commissioned to help establish a strategic vision for smart infrastructure optimisation between the five trusts, with options being considered including a “shared service model” that would create shared infrastructure delivery capability featuring consolidated resources, unified management, and pooled expertise.
“The group is exploring a shared IT infrastructure below the application layer (data centres, connectivity, etc.) to achieve economies of scale and improved resilience,” the collaboration states. “A third party is assisting with baseline assessments and strategic options, with the aim of presenting indicative costs for budget planning and a full proposal in January.”
Other planned collaborative work includes a full business case for a shared cyber security operations centre with central monitoring, at an estimated cost of £100,000 per trust, annually. Data definitions and recording practices for ambulance availability, utilisation, and shift timings, will be harmonised across the five trusts, with plans to collect data for internal analysis and dashboard development. Data leads will now look to implement harmonised metrics, with a roadmap to be developed for potential sharing with NHSE.
Wider trend: Ambulance services digital transformation
LAS shared a series of updates earlier this year on current digital, data and innovation work, including an AI and automation programme, infrastructure programme, and data programme. The board share key areas of focus for its digital & data programme 2025/26, such as the implementation of robotic process automation to reduce repetitive tasks and free up administrative time, and an infrastructure programme aiming to reduce internal critical incidents by 30 percent by April 2026.
Innovation and investments in digital, tech, and data are planned to improve patient outcomes as part of East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s strategy for 2025-2030. Broken down into four parts, the trust’s strategy focuses on delivering better care for patients, supporting its workforce to deliver “the best care they can every day”, working with partners to get patients to the best care first time, and building a sustainable service model responsive to patient needs.
The Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust board has shared its digital KPIs, work on information governance, and discussed the risks surrounding unauthorised or inappropriate use of AI. Granted a high risk status, the unauthorised or inappropriate use of AI tech such as ChatGPT “outside of approved organisational channels or without appropriate governance” was considered. The trust points to the potential for information shared or returned by such tools to breach information security and data protection controls, adding that “use of the output may breach transparency, medical device, equality, Welsh Language and ethical requirements”. The board also noted that the prospect of a deep dive session on AI-driven cyber threats was supported by members as a means of knowledge development.
