In 2024–25, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) became the first NHS trust to pilot CLEARnotes as part of an NHS-England funded pilot. The programme focused on nurse-led Pre-Operative Assessment (POA) clinics, where clinicians manage high patient volumes and documentation demands.

Driving measurable productivity gains

From the outset, CLEARnotes delivered clear efficiency improvements. Clinicians achieved a 14% increase in productivity, seeing more patients per session without extending clinic hours — rising from an average of 55 to 63 patients per day across POA clinics. An early 10% uplift was observed in the first weeks, growing to 14% as workflows were refined. Over the course of the pilot, this equated to hundreds of additional patients processed, directly supporting elective recovery and reducing waiting times.

Saving time through smarter documentation

Consultations using CLEARnotes were, on average, 20% shorter. The system automatically generated accurate consultation summaries, allowing clinicians to focus on patient interaction rather than note-taking. Long, repetitive documentation tasks were virtually eliminated, enabling clinics to finish on time and significantly reducing note backlog.

Ensuring accuracy, safety, and trust

Across 6,000 CLEARnotes consultations, over 99% of AI-generated summaries were rated as semantically identical to clinician-approved notes — providing reassurance that clinical meaning and detail were preserved. No patient safety incidents were reported. In fact, the tool improved consistency and standardisation of records across the service.

Governance and information security remained central throughout the pilot. All audio data was encrypted and stored securely, with patient consent and a full Data Protection Impact Assessment completed. Continuous clinician feedback helped refine templates and vocabulary, ensuring safe and compliant use in live settings.

Enhancing clinician well-being and patient experience

By removing administrative burden, CLEARnotes enabled clinicians to spend more meaningful time with patients. Staff reported reduced stress and greater job satisfaction. As one ELHT lead commented, “CLEARnotes helped us reclaim valuable clinical time, reduce stress, and ultimately deliver better care to our patients.”

Patients, in turn, noticed the difference. They felt clinicians were more attentive and appreciated quicker follow-up communications and more accurate documentation — improving trust, communication, and continuity of care.