The NHS Cancer Programme has awarded £14.4 million through SBRI Healthcare to support 16 pioneering projects aimed at improving early cancer detection and diagnosis across the UK
The NHS Cancer Programme, in partnership with SBRI Healthcare, has awarded £14.4 million in funding to support 16 pioneering innovations focused on the earlier detection and diagnosis of cancer.
These projects, selected through a competitive process, aim to harness the power of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, imaging, and digital diagnostics, to transform how cancer is identified and treated across the NHS. The initiative is part of a broader effort to improve patient outcomes by detecting cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages, ultimately reducing mortality and enhancing the quality of care.
Which projects were awarded funding?
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust – Awarded £2,254,634
Project: Accelerating Lung Cancer Diagnosis Through AI-Guided Robotic Navigation Bronchoscopy
This project introduces a new diagnostic pathway that combines AI-powered risk stratification of lung nodules (using Optellum) with robotic bronchoscopy (via Intuitive ION) to enhance early lung cancer diagnosis. The goal is to improve multidisciplinary decision-making, reduce delays and repeat procedures, enhance the patient experience, and facilitate faster and safer biopsies for small lung nodules.
Cyted Health – Awarded £1,849,778
Project: The Community Pharmacy Assessment for Barrett’s Oesophagus and Reflux Symptoms (Project COMPASS)
Project COMPASS aims to introduce EndoSign capsule sponge testing in pharmacies through a collaboration between Cyted Health, Boots, and Cancer Alliances. This initiative seeks to identify individuals at risk of oesophageal cancer by monitoring patients’ purchases of reflux medications and reaching underserved communities.
Quibim Ltd – Awarded £2,599,917
Project: Optimising Prostate Cancer Detection: Integrating QP-Prostate to Elevate Early Diagnosis Rates in NHS Pathways – Real-World Implementation Study
QP-Prostate® is an AI-based software designed to assist radiologists in automatically identifying potential prostate cancer cases. This project will evaluate whether implementing QP-Prostate can increase prostate cancer diagnoses and the proportion of cases detected at an early stage across participating hospitals in England.
Lucida Medical – Awarded £2,252,379
Project: AI-assisted Prostate MRI for Improving Early Detection and Diagnostic Efficiency of Prostate Cancer within the NHS
Pi™ is AI-driven medical software that automatically analyses MRI scans for prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Hospitals will use Pi™ to enhance accuracy and efficiency in identifying patients who need further investigations, such as biopsies, and to pilot a same-day biopsy service for faster diagnosis.
University of Exeter – Awarded £2,497,373
Project: HELP Flag: Age- and Sex-Stratified Upper Thresholds for Platelet Count in Primary Care-Ordered Blood Tests for Expedited Cancer Diagnosis
HELP Flag utilises natural variations in platelet counts to identify patients at risk of cancer. It includes a laboratory-based alert system for routine primary care blood tests that reveal high platelet counts, providing an evidence-based pathway for GPs to triage patients with elevated counts.
The University of Manchester and NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre – Awarded £1,294,330
Project: SEARCH: Implementing and Evaluating Lung Cancer Screening for High-Risk Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors within the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme
SEARCH is a national multicenter initiative aimed at implementing and evaluating extended eligibility criteria and a modified risk calculator for screening high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma survivors as part of the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme.
Appt Health – Awarded £1,677,781
Project: Increasing the Uptake of National Screening Programmes with Smart Targeting of Low-Uptake Subgroups
Appt Health is an automated patient engagement platform designed to enhance cancer screening uptake through personalised, behaviorally informed outreach. This project aims to boost attendance for cervical and lung screening among underserved populations by utilising data-driven targeting, co-designed messaging, and streamlined booking processes to reduce inequalities and support earlier diagnosis.
