Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust and Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have reported advancements in their pilot project using ambient voice technology to reduce administrative workload and its impact on staff wellbeing. The initiative features the implementation of Heidi AI at the Leeds Gender Identity Service, designed to streamline clinical documentation processes.

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Before the pilot began, surveys indicated that 72.7 percent of staff experienced negative repercussions from their administrative duties, with over half working beyond their contracted hours to manage these responsibilities. The findings published by the trusts revealed that the AI-based solution significantly decreased the time clinicians spent on paperwork, permitting them to concentrate more on patient interactions rather than on documentation.

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Clinicians noted that they were able to engage in more meaningful, person-centred conversations during consultations, feeling less pressure to record information on the spot. Observations from service users corroborated these improvements; 91 percent reported that clinicians appeared more focused, while 73 percent stated they felt the same or more comfortable during their appointments.

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In tandem with this pilot, the Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust shared results from its digital inclusion programme. Screening efforts indicated that 32 percent of patients are unable to carry out basic digital tasks, and a concerning 57 percent of those aged 65 and over reported being unable to use digital services independently. The trust aims to address these issues by working with 100% Digital Leeds and Aire Logic to embed digital inclusion into routine care. This includes prioritising staff training and conducting regular assessments of patients' digital capabilities.

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The Digital Health Support Hubs associated with the trust have already aided over 500 service users in engaging with the NHS App, as well as facilitating appointments and access to online health resources. Amanda Jackson, Associate CCIO and digital inclusion lead for the trust, emphasised the necessity of ensuring that digital transformation benefits all patients, asserting that digital inclusion is essential for this objective.

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Additionally, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has developed a pathology technology, TANGO, which is set for international deployment following a commercial agreement with Epredia. This technology aims to enhance the adoption of AI-enabled pathology tools for cancer diagnostics, promoting greater consistency and efficiency in laboratory processes, which has traditionally faced challenges due to minor variances.

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The insights gained from this technology will be integrated into Epredia's upcoming pathology slide products, catering to labs that are transitioning to digital workflows. 

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As part of ongoing improvements, the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has announced plans to publish an electronic patient record (EPR) tender in September, in anticipation of a business case approval in 2027. The partnership has undertaken stakeholder sessions to gather insights that will shape the EPR specification, with the tender expected to be released in September or October 2026. Following this, a thorough evaluation of the tender will be conducted from November to December, with hopes of securing full business case approval in January 2027.

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Furthermore, a new partnership has been formed between the DATA-CAN cancer data research hub at Leeds Teaching Hospitals and the West Midlands Secure Data Environment. This initiative aims to provide researchers access to high-quality cancer data derived from patient records at prominent cancer centres throughout the UK, encompassing information on diagnoses, treatments, test outcomes, and patient experiences. To date, the first dataset has been uploaded, with three additional datasets in progress.

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