Digital Dictation, Speech Recognition and Transcription Services Framework Agreement delivers immediate time-saving tools, with future-ready provision for emerging AI and AVT technologies
Leading corporate services provider, NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has launched its £150m next-generation framework agreement for Digital Dictation, Speech Recognition and Outsourced Transcription services.
The ‘Digital Dictation, Speech Recognition and Outsourced Transcription 2’ framework Agreement provides NHS and wider public sector organisations with streamlined access to proven, scalable technologies that address immediate operational pressures whilst supporting long-term digital transformation.
It also establishes a future-ready pathway for adopting emerging innovations like ambient voice technology (AVT) and AI-enabled scribing tools, solutions that will be incorporated into the framework agreement as they become market-ready, subject to validation and compliance with NHS standards.
Unlocking the future of clinical documentation
Traditional dictation tools transcribe spoken words. AI scribes passively listen and interpret the context of conversations to create coherent documentation. With the help of generative AI, they can, for instance, produce structured clinical notes or draft correspondence.
NHS England guidance has highlighted AVT’s potential to reduce staff burnout, improve patient-clinician face-to-face time, standardise documentation and support the generation of more consistent, accurate health records.
Recent trials at Great Ormond Street Hospital using ambient voice tools in A&E settings have demonstrated:
- 13% increase in patients seen per shift
- 35% reduction in clinicians feeling overwhelmed by notetaking
- A saving of £176m in documentation time, unlocking an additional £658m in capacity annually.
- Potential to support an additional 3.4m A&E attendances per year if scaled nationally, unlocking significant system capacity
A practical tool for driving efficiency and advancing digital maturity
NHS SBS’s framework agreement offers NHS and wider public sector organisations a clear, compliant, and quick means to procure technologies from pre-vetted suppliers, helping organisations to meet immediate operational needs while preparing for the next wave of innovation.
Solutions include both on-site and cloud-based SaaS platforms, covering software, hardware, integration, training, consultancy, and support. Vendors can expand their offerings as innovative technologies emerge.
“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,” says Phillip Wood, Principal Category Manager – Digital Workforce and IT Transformation at NHS SBS.
“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.”
For more information, contact the NHS SBS team at: sbs.hello@nhs.net
