Patients will see changes to their experience of clinics at Morecambe Bay’s hospitals in the coming weeks with the launch of new ‘Scribe’ note-taking technology.
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) is one of the first hospital trusts in the country to introduce Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) - software that transcribes patient consultations and automatically generates clinical notes and patient letters.
The aims behind the Scribe software are to encourage more natural conversations between medical professionals by removing the need for typed or handwritten notes, and reducing the amount of time needed for completing paperwork.
UHMBT Chief Clinical Information Officer Dr Sarah Hart said: “Our intention is that Scribe will mean patients have a more natural and engaging conversation with their medical professionals.
“It should also mean that letters and other documents can be produced more quickly, keeping patients informed about their care and treatment and helping to manage patient flow through our hospitals more efficiently.
“It’s important to be clear that Scribe does not make decisions or diagnoses. Its role is to make a record of consultations to help medical professionals as they talk to patients about their care options. Medical professionals are responsible for checking the accuracy of documents produced by the software.”
UHMBT trialled use of AVT software in some of its outpatient clinics in 2025.
So far, Scribe has been introduced in the Trust's Urology and Integrated Musculoskeletal (iMSK) departments.
Extended-Scope Physiotherapist Matthew Swales from the Trust’s iMSK team said: “The big thing about it - and patients have commented on this as well - is that you can give the patient your full attention rather than also being concerned about creating a clinical note.
“The patient feels much more validated and listened to because you can give them your entire attention. So the patients seem to really enjoy it. It's also very useful, obviously, when you're under significant time pressures, because it creates that clinical note rapidly.”
Scribe will be introduced in UHMBT’s remaining outpatient clinics between from August onwards.
Plans are also being developed to introduce Scribe in wards for use by nurses, allied health professionals and doctors. When used on wards, the technology will be used to create clinical notes from activity such as ward rounds.
UHMBT Chief Nursing Information Officer Janet Manning said: “Nationally, AVT is something that everybody is excited about, so it’s great for Morecambe Bay that we’re a part of that.
“For nurses, Scribe will pick up the conversation that they have at the bedside with the patient and reduce the documentation burden, giving them more time to spend with their patients and give them the care they need.”
The government’s 10-Year Health Plan for England identifies AVT as a key tool to improve efficiency in the NHS.
UHMBT Chief Medical Officer Dr Helen Skinner said: “We’re pleased to be one of the acute trusts leading the way with the introduction of this technology, which we hope will enable our clinicians to be able to focus solely on the patient during consultations without the need for note taking whilst listening - resulting in quicker documentation and letters to our primary care colleagues, allowing us to provide better care for our patients.”
Patients will be asked at the start of each consultation to confirm their consent for Scribe to be used.
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