In early 2025, Moorfields Eye Hospital launched a pilot of CLEARnotes as part of an NHS England-funded programme. The pilot spanned five services — A&E, Adnexal, Ocular Oncology, Uveitis, and Vitreoretinal — progressing from controlled testing to live clinical use. Following full Information Governance (IG) and clinical safety approval in January 2025, clinic rooms were equipped with microphones integrated into Moorfields’ thin-client estate. The pilot has since been extended to December 2025 to maximise benefits realisation and support sustained improvement.

Significant time and productivity gains

Independent time-and-motion analysis revealed substantial efficiency improvements. Average administrative time per patient (including in-consultation typing and post-clinic letter writing) dropped from around 10 minutes to 2.8 minutes, saving over 7 minutes per appointment. User surveys corroborated these findings, with clinicians self-reporting an average of 11 minutes saved per case.

The impact on clinic flow was notable. The proportion of clinics finishing late — previously affecting around 90% of staff daily or weekly — fell sharply to 25% following AVT adoption. This reduction directly supports staff wellbeing and clinic capacity, addressing one of the leading causes of burnout.

Widespread clinician engagement and adoption

Over the analysis period, 51 clinicians actively used CLEARnotes, documenting 404 consultations. Training was well received, with 93% of participants agreeing it clearly demonstrated how to integrate CLEARnotes safely and effectively into existing workflows. Clinicians rapidly became confident with the tool, describing it as intuitive, accurate, and “essential to daily workflow.”

Improved documentation quality and patient interaction

CLEARnotes also enhanced documentation quality and patient engagement. The proportion of clinicians reporting that they “frequently or always” compromised notes under time pressure dropped from 60% to 12%. Those needing to pause patient interaction to type fell from 57% to 0%, reflecting improved consultation quality and patient experience. No safety incidents were recorded, and quality assurance reviews confirmed the accuracy and reliability of generated outputs.

Enabling factors for success

Moorfields’ success was underpinned by strong executive sponsorship, early governance sign-off, and a structured approach to implementation. Dedicated training, ‘hypercare’ support, and Plan-Do-Study-Act improvement cycles ensured rapid feedback and iteration. Collaboration between IT teams and the CLEARnotes vendor helped optimise hardware and system performance for real-world use.