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by Kelly Harris, Senior Category Manager – Digital & IT NHS Shared Business Services. |
World Speech Day is a great reminder of something we often take for granted: our voices. The way we talk, listen, ask questions, and share ideas is at the heart of how we connect with each other. And in healthcare, good communication isn’t just helpful – it’s essential for safe, high quality, inclusive care.
At NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS), communication runs through everything we do. Whether that’s helping clinicians capture accurate notes with digital dictation tools, or making sure patients can access interpreters in the language or format they need, our framework agreements are all about making every interaction clearer, safer, and more accessible.
Supporting clinical communication: Digital Dictation, Speech Recognition and Transcription Solutions
One way we help strengthen communication in healthcare is through our Digital Dictation, Speech Recognition and Outsourced Transcription Solutions Framework Agreement.
In simple terms?
We provide modern, secure tools that take the hassle out of admin and help clinical teams work more efficiently.
The framework agreement supports the priorities of the 10-Year Health Plan for England and Health Education England’s Future Digital Workforce guidance by ensuring that services provided are secure, high quality, and aligned with best practice. It gives customers a straightforward, value for money route to procure digital dictation, speech recognition, and transcription systems.
Benefits include:
- Accurate, timely information available shortly after each patient contact
- Reduced clinical risk by eliminating misplaced or damaged tapes
- Meeting clinical, safety and patient choice expectations across primary and secondary care
- Fewer transcription errors due to better sound quality and prompt processing
- Faster document turnaround, saving valuable staff time
All of this means clinicians can spend more time with patients and less time battling admin — and that’s a win for everyone.
Making communication inclusive for every patient
Of course, clinical documentation is only half the story. Patients also need to fully understand the information shared with them during appointments. For many individuals, this is not always straightforward.
Imagine a deaf relative attending a routine clinical appointment. They may struggle to follow conversations with clinicians, especially when protective facemasks limit the ability to lip read. Without additional support, they could feel excluded or uncertain about important care decisions.
Our Interpretation and Translation Services Framework Agreement helps remove these barriers. With access to qualified British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters and specialist language services, patients can take an active, confident role in their care.
These services also help organisations deliver fair, accessible support tailored to different communication needs – whether spoken, signed, or written.
Our interpreters and translators bring specialist knowledge in areas like healthcare and legal settings, along with essential cultural understanding, so communication is accurate, sensitive, and appropriate.
Benefits include:
- Access to the latest technology enabled tools (apps, tablets, video interpreting)
- A comprehensive one stop shop for all language service requirements
- Machine translation, post editing and translation memory to support cost savings
And with over 276,690 people registered as blind or partially sighted and 56,400 registered as deaf in England, inclusive communication is not just beneficial, it is essential.
Accessing our framework agreements
Our framework agreements aren’t just limited to the NHS – wider public sector organisations can use them too. They offer flexible procurement routes, including direct award and further competition, supported by our category experts who can help you identify the most effective approach for your needs.
Whether you want to enhance clinical documentation workflows or improve accessibility for patients with diverse communication needs, our framework agreements are designed to support best value and positive outcomes.
If you have any questions or would like to explore how these framework agreements could help your organisation, please contact us.
