Heide AI Scribe will support 1.5 million National Health Service appointments each month following the rollout of a new United Kingdom hospice. The deployment forms part of a five-year partnership between Sue Ryder and AI medical scribe provider Heidi, backed by government funding.
Heide AI Scribe rollout across hospice and community care
Details of the agreement were outlined in a report describing phased implementation across inpatient, community, and bereavement services. The charity will introduce the technology across seven healthcare services over the coming months.
Sue Ryder plans to use the system to automate clinical notes, consultation letters, and administrative documentation. Heide AI Scribe uses ambient voice technology to capture conversations and generate structured medical records.
The tool is listed on the NHS-approved ambient voice technology registry and operates in 15 NHS trusts. Heidi stated the system already supports more than 1.5 million appointments monthly.
Melanie Craig, Chief Operating Officer, Sue Ryder, said clinicians face pressure from rising demand and administrative workload.
“We cannot afford for their time to be swallowed up by admin,” said Melanie Craig, Chief Operating Officer, Sue Ryder. “Partnering with Heidi will help return precious time to patient care while modernising how we work.”
Craig stated that frontline clinical teams will shape how the technology is introduced to ensure it aligns with real-world palliative care delivery. She added that demonstrating safe and thoughtful AI use could improve patient care and staff experience while encouraging wider hospice adoption.
Mari Pittman, Ward Manager at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, highlighted anticipated efficiency gains for clinical teams. She explained that reducing time spent on documentation would allow greater focus on patient assessment, comfort measures, and timely clinical decision-making.
Partnership funding and sector context
Heidi will contribute £10,000 annually to support Sue Ryder through fundraising and awareness activities linked to safe AI use. The partners will tailor the system to different services and track long-term clinical impact.
The initiative forms part of Sue Ryder’s broader digital transformation programme across community and inpatient care. Wider nonprofit healthcare pressures have also been highlighted in recent reporting on UK charity funding challenges.
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Dr Hannah Allen, Chief Medical Officer, Heidi, described the rollout as a major step for hospice care delivery and the wider sector. She said the partnership aims to establish safe and effective standards for using artificial intelligence in palliative and end-of-life care across the United Kingdom.