Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept for primary care, it’s a rapidly evolving part of clinical and administrative workflows. Among the most transformative innovations is Ambient Voice Technology (AVT), which uses AI to listen, transcribe and summarise clinical interactions in real time. But with this rapid growth comes an equally rapid influx of suppliers, products and promises, not all of which align with NHS safety expectations.
Recognising this, NHS England has announced the creation of an AVT Registry: ‘Supplier Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) Self-Certified Registry‘, a central list of solutions that meet specific standards for compliance, safety and performance. Its purpose is to bring an initial level of assurance and transparency to what has, until now, been a fragmented marketplace.
This move mirrors a broader NHS trend toward stronger governance in digital procurement. The AVT Registry is a step away from the “wild west” of unchecked AI tools and towards a system where only clinically validated, securely managed technologies can operate in patient-facing environments.
What does the AVT Registry mean?
The AVT Registry is first and foremost a compliance framework. It allows suppliers to self-declare and evidence conformity with NHS standards, providing GP practices, ICBs and Trusts with a transparent, verified resource when selecting AVT solutions.
To qualify, vendors must demonstrate:
- DTAC compliance across all five pillars (clinical safety, data protection, cybersecurity, interoperability and usability)
- MHRA Class I Medical Device registration, with post-market surveillance
- Evidence of proven benefit within NHS care settings
- Integration and scalability across NHS systems
- Submission of video demonstrations, performance monitoring documents, and indicative pricing
The AVT Registry requirements are far more than administrative checks. They form the foundation for trustworthy AI, ensuring that every tool claiming to support clinicians has been tested, monitored and validated to NHS standards.
By contrast, unregistered or unverified tools risk inconsistent documentation, data privacy concerns and potential safety hazards. In a healthcare environment where governance is non-negotiable, the registry signals the NHS’s intent to separate credible, compliant innovation from opportunistic experimentation.
Lessons from the Better Purchasing Framework
This is not the first time NHS England has sought to bring greater rigour to supplier assurance. The Better Purchasing Framework (BPF) for Cloud telephony, under which Surgery Connect achieved Clinical Authority to Release (CATR) from NHS England’s Clinical Safety Group, offers a clear parallel.
Under the BPF, suppliers had to demonstrate embedded clinical safety processes, risk controls and governance structures before being approved for procurement. It raised the quality bar, ensuring that only proven and compliant systems remained available to practices. For the market, it brought clarity. For practices, it brought confidence. And for suppliers like X-on Health, it reinforced that clinical safety and compliance are not milestones, they are continuous disciplines.
The new AVT Registry takes this same principle into the era of voice-enabled AI. It creates a transparent foundation where NHS buyers can make informed choices, assured that available AVT products are not only effective but safe to use. Just as the BPF helped to stabilise the telephony market, the AVT Registry is set to stabilise the emerging AVT landscape.
What the AVT Registry means for AVT solutions
For suppliers already operating within NHS frameworks, the introduction of the AVT Registry is an opportunity to reaffirm commitment to the highest standards of care technology.
Fully compliant with NHS AVT standards, Surgery Intellect, powered by TORTUS, is already built to meet and exceed these requirements. Its underlying TORTUS technology holds UKCA Class I medical device registration, with Class IIa status in progress, and is NHS DTAC and DSPT compliant. Designed for secure clinical documentation in UK primary care, it automates transcription, summarisation and coding while keeping clinicians in full control of every record through a human-in-the-loop model.
This architecture aligns precisely with the registry’s focus on safety, transparency and data governance. Each consultation summary is approved by the clinician before it enters the patient record, ensuring accuracy and accountability.
The partnership between X-on Health and TORTUS AI reflects the kind of collaboration the NHS wants to see: one rooted in clinical validation, interoperability and shared governance. Independent frameworks such as CREOLA (Clinical Review of LLMs and AI) and third-party safety audits by Curistica add further assurance, ensuring that innovation never outpaces safety.
The role of the AVT Registry in supporting safer AI in healthcare
The creation of the NHS England AVT Registry represents a defining moment for digital healthcare. It moves the conversation from “Can AI do this?” to “Can AI do this safely, compliantly and consistently?”
As innovation continues, so too will scrutiny. In the same way that the BPF helped practices confidently procure clinically assured telephony systems, the registry will enable them to adopt AVT solutions with equal assurance. It signals a maturing market, where governance becomes the baseline, not the differentiator. For practices and ICBs, it means decisions can be made with trust. For suppliers, it sets a clear expectation: compliance must be continuous, evidence must be current, and transparency must be absolute.
For X-on Health, it reinforces a long-held belief that technology in healthcare is only as powerful as it is safe. With Surgery Intellect, powered by TORTUS, the company continues to lead by example, ensuring that innovation in UK primary care is built on the foundations of clinical safety, compliance and clinician control.
Want to see how safe, compliant AVT works in practice?