By X-on Health
Ambient voice technology (AVT) is moving quickly from pilot to practice across the NHS, but for many clinicians the real test is how it fits into the pressures of everyday general practice.
At Golborne Canalside Health Centre in West London, GP Principal and Education Lead Yasmin has been using AVT solution Surgery Intellect, powered by TORTUS as part of routine consultations. Her experience reflects a wider shift, where the value of ambient voice technology lies less in novelty and more in its ability to address long-standing challenges around workload, documentation and patient interaction.
A growing documentation problem
For Yasmin, the need for change became clear during the pandemic, when the rapid shift to remote care and increased use of messaging tools began to affect the quality and consistency of clinical records.
“When the pandemic hit, we did a lot of remote work and used messaging systems more, so the notes got full of triage information. We’re all too busy to type our notes well and we all got burned out. So the notes were a bit of a mess,” she explains.
As a GP partner, maintaining consistency across clinicians is a key responsibility, but this became harder with a mix of roles, experience levels and working styles. While templates and structured approaches helped to some extent, variation remained, particularly as clinicians continued to document in their own way.
At the same time, patient expectations were shifting. With online access to records becoming more common, notes that were originally written for clinical use were now being read more widely. As Yasmin puts it, they are often “done quickly so we can do our jobs”, rather than written with a broader audience in mind.
Earlier attempts to improve documentation, including dictation tools, showed promise but fell short operationally. “It was life changing,” she says, “but it wasn’t integrated… you had to email notes back to yourself.” Without being embedded into the clinical system, these tools didn’t help to remove the friction.
Meanwhile, the administrative burden continued to grow. Tasks such as referrals and follow-up letters were often pushed to the end of the day, contributing to long working hours and ongoing fatigue. “You don’t go home feeling satisfied,” Yasmin notes, reflecting the reality of unfinished work carrying over day to day.
Changing how consultations work
The introduction of ambient voice technology has shifted documentation into the consultation itself, reducing the need for additional work afterwards.
“We can complete notes as we go,” Yasmin explains, adding that while clinical oversight remains essential, “having AI alongside helps to reduce the cognitive load”.
One of the most immediate changes has been the removal of constant typing. Without the need to focus on the keyboard, attention shifts back to the patient, changing the feel of the consultation.
“Not using my fingers to type freed my hands. I was thinking more clearly, focusing more on patients, speaking slowly and doing my checks to make sure patients understand what we’re saying,” she says.
This has led to a more natural interaction, with fewer distractions and improved rapport. It has also enabled clinicians to complete tasks such as referrals during the consultation, rather than adding to an already stretched administrative workload.
This shift is not limited to GPs. Yasmin notes that colleagues in roles such as pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses and health coaches — who often have longer, more in-depth conversations — also stand to benefit, helping to create more consistent, joined-up records across the wider care team
Integration and trust driving adoption of AVT
Yasmin had already been using ambient voice tools before adopting Surgery Intellect, powered by TORTUS. However, the shift towards this solution was shaped by how well it integrated into existing workflows.
“I now use Surgery Intellect more for my notes because of the integration with the Surgery Connect Phonebar,” she explains. As an existing Surgery Connect customer, that integration allowed the technology to sit directly within both the clinical system and telephony workflow, which is particularly important given the volume of telephone consultations in primary care.
Alongside integration, trust in the organisations involved played an important role. Yasmin describes X-on Health as a “reliable, flexible, long-standing partner”, while also highlighting the importance of TORTUS’ “UK-based, clinically-led approach” and emphasis on developing at a pace that prioritises safety and oversight.
Onboarding has been straightforward, particularly for clinicians already familiar with SystmOne. “It takes two minutes to download the latest version of the Phonebar and you can launch Surgery Intellect in a few clicks,” she notes, with most of the learning coming from using the tool in practice and adapting it to individual workflows. The practice uses it mainly for phone calls but also in face-to-face consultations, with Yasmin highlighting the value of “being able to add outputs after the consultation” before directly saving to the clinical record.
Patient response and practical considerations
Patient response has been largely positive, particularly when the technology is introduced clearly. Yasmin describes it to patients as a “digital note taker”, which helps reassure patients that it supports the consultation rather than changing it.
“They like that it allows you to have a conversation with them instead of staring at the screen,” she says.
The main concern tends to be around data, with patients wanting to understand how their information is handled and who has access to it. In practice, these concerns are usually addressed through a clear explanation that the tool transcribes the consultation rather than storing it indefinitely, and that the information is handled in a controlled way within the clinical system, not shared more widely.
Importantly, Yasmin found that patients did not become more hesitant during consultations, even when discussing sensitive topics. The system produces structured summaries that focus on clinically relevant information, without capturing unnecessary detail.
There are some differences across patient groups but overall acceptance has been strong. The ability to generate summaries has proved valuable, helping patients feel included and retain information that might otherwise be forgotten after the appointment.
This has been especially helpful in more complex or ongoing care pathways. Yasmin highlights its use within weight management services, where consultations often follow structured frameworks and require detailed documentation. Using templates, the system can organise outputs under specific headings, such as the “five A’s” of obesity, creating a clear and consistent record during the consultation for clinicians and patients alike. As she puts it, “the templates are powerful,” enabling teams to generate detailed, structured outputs almost immediately—”work that would otherwise take up to 30 minutes”.
Reducing workload and shaping what comes next
For Yasmin, the most significant impact has been on workload and wellbeing. By enabling documentation and tasks to be completed in real time, the technology has reduced the need for after-hours admin.
“It gives you your life back,” she says, describing the shift away from regularly working late into the evening.
The technology has also highlighted how much detail is often missed in traditional documentation, particularly around management plans. Capturing this more effectively supports continuity of care and improves the overall quality of the record.
Yasmin is looking forward to further developments, including more concise outputs for quick review and deeper integration into clinical workflows. As she explains, “there’s a feedback loop there for us to improve it”, with input from practices actively shaping how the product evolves. This open and iterative approach, she says, is what makes a real difference in day-to-day practice.
Ambient voice technology is still evolving, with ongoing NHS-led research exploring its effectiveness and regulatory requirements. For practices already using it, however, the benefits are becoming clearer.
As Yasmin reflects, the value lies not in replacing clinicians, but in enabling them to work in a way that is both more efficient and more human — reducing administrative burden while allowing greater focus on patient care.
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