Croydon Health Services NHS Trust has awarded a £379,743 contract to implement artificial intelligence software that listens to clinical conversations and generates patient records automatically, removing the requirement for doctors and nurses to type notes by hand.

The contract, awarded to Keystream Group Limited, runs from 20 May to 31 October 2026. Keystream will oversee the rollout of the Lyrebird Health ambient voice technology platform across the trust's emergency department, urgent treatment centre, and outpatient department. The software will be integrated with the trust's existing electronic patient record system.

Ambient voice technology records spoken exchanges between clinician and patient, processes the audio, and produces structured clinical notes without requiring the clinician to dictate or type. Proponents argue this allows staff to maintain eye contact and focus on the patient rather than a screen. Concerns have been raised by some clinicians about accuracy, data privacy, and whether AI-generated notes introduce new risks into the medical record.

The trust's decision follows a sustained internal critique of its own administrative systems. In a quality strategy published earlier this year, the trust's board stated that staff had reported inefficient systems and duplicated effort. "Our focus will be on optimising the time that clinicians can spend with patients and avoiding duplication of records and documentation," the board wrote. The trust said it was committed to equipping its workforce with the tools and training needed to deliver efficient care.

The deployment sits within a broader digital agenda the trust outlined for the period 2026 to 2029, which includes aligning with the government's ten-year plan for the NHS. That plan emphasises the role of technology in reducing administrative burden across the health service, freeing clinical capacity without increasing headcount.

Croydon is among a growing number of NHS organisations trialling or implementing ambient voice tools. Several trusts, including University Hospitals Birmingham and Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, have run pilots with different platforms in recent years. Published evidence on the sustained impact of such technology in NHS settings remains limited, with most data coming from supplier-commissioned studies or short-term evaluations.

The five-month window suggests the trust is treating this as a structured implementation rather than an open-ended rollout. Whether the contract leads to a wider deployment will depend on what the trust concludes about clinical outcomes and workflow changes during that period. The trust had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.