Five health tech research hubs will receive more than £52m in UK government funding to develop AI tools for earlier diagnosis and care closer to home.
The investment, provided through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will support technologies to help people manage their health, detect diseases earlier and reduce pressure on NHS services.
The hubs will focus on dementia, brain injuries, cardiovascular disease, respiratory infections and using eye scans to detect other health conditions.
Planned technologies include AI systems combining blood tests, brain scans and memory assessments, smartphone apps that analyse coughs and wearable health monitors.
Researchers will also develop tools to assess head injuries in real time and AI-powered support for managing cardiovascular disease at home.
Science minister Chris McDonald marked the announcement with a visit to Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital for the launch of the Northern Ophthalmic Research and Innovation (NORI) hub.
The project will use AI to identify early signs of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in routine eye scans, potentially allowing patients to receive diagnosis and treatment sooner.
McDonald said: “Sunderland has long been a centre of innovation and scientific endeavour, from glassmaking to shipbuilding, and now in the pioneering use of technology to diagnose illnesses like diabetes and heart disease earlier.
“Earlier diagnosis means better outcomes for patients and less pressure on our NHS, and technology has a vital role to play.”
“These healthcare hubs offer a powerful example of how scientific research can improve lives, whether that is using scans to catch heart disease earlier, or using AI to assess head injuries quicker.”
The five hubs will be based in Exeter, London, Southampton and Sunderland, bringing together engineering and physical sciences specialists from across the UK.
The AI and Emerging Technologies for Next Generation Brain Health Clinics (BRAINIAC) hub, led by the University of Exeter, will establish the UK’s first network of NHS brain health clinics.
Ten sites will test AI that combines blood tests, brain scans and memory assessments to build a picture of an individual’s brain health.
More than 1,700 patients will be involved, with the project aiming to reduce dementia risk and speed up diagnosis by up to 50 per cent.
The Brain Research for Adaptive Traumatic Injury: Simulation, Assessment, Forecasting & Education (BRAIN-SAFE) hub, led by Imperial College London, will develop computer models to predict an individual’s risk of brain injury following a head impact.
The models will consider age, sex and previous injuries.
Potential applications include pitch-side alerts for dangerous impacts, systems using vehicle and smartphone crash data to alert paramedics to likely brain injuries, and improvements to helmets, vehicle safety ratings and military protection.
At King’s College London, the HeartTech hub will investigate how wearable devices, medical imaging and health records could identify people at risk of cardiovascular disease earlier and provide personalised support.
Planned technologies include an AI-powered wellbeing coach that could offer lifestyle advice and alert users when they should seek clinical support.
The aim is to help more people monitor and manage their heart health at home or in their communities rather than relying solely on hospital services.
The Community Respiratory Infection Screening and Prognostics (CRISP) hub, led by the University of Southampton, will develop smartphone apps, wearable sensors and rapid tests to assess respiratory infections.
AI will combine information from coughs, breathing patterns and other tests to predict how an infection might progress.
The tools are intended to help patients decide whether they can recover at home or need to contact a pharmacist or GP, while supporting NHS treatment decisions.
The Sunderland-based NORI hub, led by the University of Sunderland, will analyse retinal images alongside NHS health records and community data.
Researchers will investigate whether subtle changes in blood vessels and nerve tissue at the back of the eye can identify patients needing further investigation, monitoring or earlier preventative treatment.
Its initial focus will be diabetes and cardiovascular disease, with potential future applications in stroke, heart disease and dementia.
Across the five hubs, researchers will work with patients, healthcare professionals, charities, sporting organisations and technology companies.
Partners include the NHS, Alzheimer’s Society, Google, Siemens, Medtronic and sports governing bodies including the Rugby Football League and GB Boxing.
These organisations will contribute a further £37.5m in cash and in-kind support.
The government’s funding includes £1m from the UKRI Life Science Programme for the HeartTech hub.
Professor Charlotte Deane, executive chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council at UKRI, said: “These five new hubs will improve the lives and livelihoods of people and patients right across the UK.
“They build on the proven success of our previous hubs, which are already translating cutting-edge research into real benefits, advancing healthcare innovation, including the world’s first AI-assisted brain tumour surgery.”
“By working closely with patients, the NHS and industry, we’re helping people live healthier lives and preventing ill health before it starts.”
