This could reduce pressure on the NHS and improve outcomes for patients.
The six newly funded projects aim to make diagnostic testing more accessible by designing simple, affordable tools that can be used in everyday settings such as:
- GP surgeries
- pharmacies
- community diagnostic hubs
- people’s homes
The work is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), with funding of up to £2 million per project over three years, with input from charities and NHS trusts.
Real-world impacts
The research responds to a clear need for more timely diagnosis, particularly for people who face barriers to accessing specialist care.
Whether it’s spotting the early signs of asthma, epilepsy, dementia or chemotherapy-related nerve damage, earlier detection can help people start treatment sooner, improve long-term outcomes, and reduce avoidable trips to hospital.
Each project has been co-designed with patients, carers and clinicians, and all of them are focused on real-world impact.
Transforming access to healthcare
Science Minister Lord Vallance said:
We’re backing promising new research that has the potential to transform how people access healthcare – bringing innovative diagnostic tools closer to communities and homes across Britain.
From AI-powered eye scans that could help spot early signs of dementia to brainwave-based tools being developed to support childhood epilepsy treatment – these are the research projects we’re funding.
If successful, they could help reduce pressure on our NHS hospitals while improving access to care for patients.
Early diagnosis is vital
Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair of EPSRC, said:
Diagnosing health conditions early and in a way that works for people’s everyday lives is vital.
These six projects will bring engineering and health expertise together with the experiences of patients and communities to develop practical, real-world tools that support the NHS Long Term Plan.
By enabling care closer to home as well as earlier intervention, they will help shift the system from treatment to prevention, improve outcomes, tackle health inequalities, and ease pressure on hospitals.
Developing technologies
The technologies that will be developed include:
- a breathing test that could detect asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) earlier and be used in community settings, led by Professor Grant Ritchie of the University of Oxford
- artificial intelligence (AI)-powered eye scans to identify early signs of heart disease or dementia, led by Professor Pearse Keane of University College London
- a wearable brain monitor to support faster epilepsy diagnosis outside of hospital, led by Professor John Terry at the University of Plymouth
- a home-use nerve function test to help cancer patients manage chemotherapy side effects, led by Professor Tony Pickering of the University of Bristol
- a brainwave-based tool to spot severe childhood epilepsy sooner and support treatment decisions, led by Dr Javier Escudero of The University of Edinburgh
- a portable scanner to detect early signs of musculoskeletal conditions, such as osteoporosis, led by Dr Jemma Kerns of Lancaster University
Fuller descriptions of each of the six projects are in the ‘Further information’ section.
Supporting NHS Long Term Plan
Together, these approaches support the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan, which aims to:
- improve early detection of major health conditions
- shift more care into the community
- reduce pressure on hospital services
The new projects build on previous EPSRC investments in accessible, community-based health tools.
These include:
- devices and smart sensors that prevent pressure ulcers and accelerate wound healing (University of Southampton)
- AI and wearables enabling early illness detection and dementia monitoring (Imperial College London)
- early detection of urinary tract infections using behavioural cues (The University of Edinburgh)
- contactless home monitoring of vital signs (Queen Mary University of London)
- wearable technologies to support people with Parkinson’s (Newcastle University)
Collectively, these innovations reflect a growing shift towards care that is proactive, personalised, and closer to home.
Further information
Funded projects
A Community-based diagnostiC for early airwayS disease (ACCESS)
EPSRC investment: £1.21 million
Professor Grant Ritchie of the University of Oxford is leading a project to develop a new, easier breathing test to help diagnose asthma and COPD earlier and more accurately.
Especially in people from disadvantaged communities, who often face barriers accessing hospital-based care.
The new test, called computed cardiopulmonography (CCP), is more sensitive than current methods and could spot signs of lung disease before serious damage occurs.
This project aims to make CCP quicker, more portable, and suitable for use in community settings like GP clinics.
The long-term goal is to support earlier diagnosis and treatment, helping reduce hospital visits and tackle health inequalities.
Patients will help shape the research throughout.
Partners include Asthma + Lung UK.
Screening and diagnosis on the high street: unlocking the potential of AI-enabled oculomics in the community
EPSRC investment: £1.67 million
Professor Pearse Keane of University College London is leading a project using AI to turn routine eye checks into powerful tools for detecting early signs of health conditions like heart disease and dementia.
The project builds on the exciting field of oculomics, using biomarkers in the eye to detect systemic disease.
It will enhance the accuracy of an existing AI model and create a series of diagnostic tools that are adaptable across diverse populations.
By using these AI tools to analyse retinal images during an eye test, local health providers will have the power to spot health issues sooner.
This is because far more people go for regular eye tests than attend GP health checks.
The work will also help ensure these tools are safe, clinically relevant, and ready for real-world use.
In the long run, it could mean faster diagnoses and better care for more people, closer to home.
Developing accessible electroencephalogram (EEG) solutions for earlier diagnosis and better care for suspected seizures
EPSRC investment: £1.94 million
A team led by Professor John Terry at the University of Plymouth is developing an affordable, easy-to-use brain monitoring headset.
The headset will support faster, more accessible diagnosis of suspected seizures closer to where people live.
Currently, many patients wait months for a hospital-based EEG test, delaying care and clarity, especially in rural or underserved regions.
This new community-based approach combines a wireless, dry-electrode headset with digital biomarkers.
It will help detect early signs of neurological conditions including epilepsy, functional neurological disorder (FND), and stroke from GP surgeries or even the patient’s home.
By streamlining diagnostic pathways, it aims to:
- reduce hospital visits
- lower NHS costs and carbon impact
- improve health equity, particularly for those in disadvantaged or remote areas
The project builds on prior EPSRC-funded research and collaborations with Neuronostics Ltd and is supported by a broad coalition of partners including:
- Epilepsy Action
- FND North
- NHS Cornwall & Isles of Scilly ICB
- Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Epilepsy Research Institute UK
- FND Action
Early community detection of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
EPSRC investment: £1.59 million
Professor Tony Pickering of the University of Bristol is leading the SenseCheQ@Home project team.
The team is developing an easy-to-use, home-based test to help cancer patients spot early signs of nerve damage caused by chemotherapy.
Nerve damage is a common side effect that can lead to long-term pain, numbness and mobility issues.
By giving patients a simple way to track changes in their nerve function throughout treatment, the tool aims to catch problems earlier, reduce harm, and improve quality of life.
The approach also empowers people to play a more active role in their care and could one day be used for other conditions like diabetes or in testing new nerve-repair therapies.
Partners include the universities of Dundee and Newcastle, and the team will work in collaboration with Designworks an industrial design consultancy.
Enabling the early and equitable diagnosis of epilepsy in infants in the community (EPIC)
EPSRC investment: £1.99 million
Dr Javier Escudero of The University of Edinburgh is leading a project that aims to make it easier and quicker to diagnose epilepsy in children, especially severe types like infantile spasms.
The project will create a simple, portable brain-monitoring tool that can be used in local clinics or even at home.
Currently, diagnosis often requires multiple visits to hospital specialists, causing delays and distress.
By working closely with families and clinicians, the team will develop technology that uses brainwave readings and AI to detect seizures earlier and track treatment response.
The goal is to:
- reduce stress
- speed up access to care
- improve long-term outcomes for children and families across the UK
Partners include NHS Lothian as part of the project team.
Project partners providing in kind contributions include:
- UK Infantile Spasms Trust
- Epilepsy Scotland
- BrainsView
- UCB Pharma (UK)
- Epilepsy Research Institute UK
- Newcastle University
- SYNGAP1 UK
SORS in the community
EPSRC investment: £1.50 million
A third of UK adults live with musculoskeletal conditions like osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, which are the leading cause of disability and major lifestyle changes.
Dr Jemma Kerns of Lancaster University is leading a project that aims to develop a safe, portable tool that can scan bone health using light instead of X-rays.
This makes it easier to detect problems early.
The device aims to be used in easily accessible local community settings, like GP surgeries and local centres for both convenience and more regular health monitoring.
This is especially important in deprived and remote areas where people often face barriers to accessing care.
By involving patients, carers and healthcare professionals in its design, the project hopes to reduce health inequalities and improve bone health before problems become serious.
Partners include:
- University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
- UCL
- STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory as part of the project team