RCPsych and NHS England to develop guidance on use of Ambient Voice Technology

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The College and NHS England are developing new guidance on the use of Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) in clinical practice with patients with mental health needs, learning disabilities or neurodivergent people (MHLDN). 

It will be informed by clinical expertise and will bring together key considerations for organisations and practising clinicians, with a specific focus on the needs of MHLDN, who may be more vulnerable due to the nature of their conditions, issues of capacity, or sensitivities around privacy and trust.

Across the NHS, the use of Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) is expanding rapidly. A growing number of organisations are procuring and piloting these tools to support clinical documentation, streamline workflows, and improve productivity. This reflects a broader shift toward digitally enabled care, where clinicians are supported to spend more time with patients and less time on administrative tasks. In order to enable successful adoption of digital technologies in clinical settings, there also needs to be ongoing work to train the workforce in digital and data literacy (for example, the Digital Literacy Framework for psychiatrists).

We recognise the significant potential benefits AVT offers. Early experiences suggest improvements in efficiency, clinician satisfaction, and the quality of clinical records. However, these opportunities must be carefully balanced with the ethical, legal, and professional considerations that arise - particularly when working with individuals with mental health needs, learning disabilities or neurodivergent people (MHLDN) who may be more vulnerable due to the nature of their conditions, issues of capacity, or sensitivities around privacy and trust. We also acknowledge that in some situations, use of this technology may not be clinically appropriate. 

There are a range of organisations who have published guidance on the use of AVT and other AI tools within the health and care ecosystem, but little guidance which is specific to the MHLDN sector, bringing together the key considerations for organisations and practising clinicians. This work aims to address that gap, and will be published by September 2026 jointly by NHS England and the Royal College of Psychiatrists and will be specifically informed by mental health expertise.

It is being developed with extensive input from clinicians across disciplines, digital transformation experts, and people with lived experience. Their perspectives are central to ensuring that the use of AVT is safe, acceptable, and aligned with the values of person-centred care.

While the guidance has a focus on MHLDN, it is not limited to specialist MHLDN services. It is intended for use across any care setting where patients with MHLDN needs present, including acute, community, primary care, and integrated services. This reflects the reality that MHLDN care is delivered across the whole system.

Scope of the guidance will include:

• definitions
• benefits and risks of the technology
• ethical considerations (general, and MHLDN specific)
• advice for organisations around business case, procurement, configuration, implementation, evaluation
• advice for individual practitioners in relation to personal responsibilities and accountability, use cases, limitations, consent, raising concerns and risk management
• further resources.

Out of scope:

• detailed technical specifications or endorsement of specific AVT products
• detailed procurement and commercial guidance
• broader AI use cases not directly related to ambient voice documentation
• replacement of existing legal, regulatory, or professional standards.

It is important to note that this guidance will not be exhaustive. Given the pace of technological development, it is intended as a pragmatic framework to support safe and effective adoption, rather than a definitive or static rulebook. Organisations and clinicians will continue to need to exercise professional judgement and adapt to local contexts.

As AVT becomes more embedded in clinical practice, maintaining trust, safeguarding patient rights, and ensuring equity of access must remain at the forefront.