Diagnostics firm LumiraDx has unveiled a new strategic collaboration with Everton in the Community - the official charity of Everton FC - to set up England’s first community-based heart and lung screening hub, set to go live this month.
Everton in the Community will run the new screening hub from the recently opened People’s Place. The hub will provide the Merseyside community with access to the latest technologies and specialist input from a multidisciplinary team of primary care, heart and lung specialists to focus on early diagnosis and early treatment for chronic breathlessness in a walk-in setting. The hub is made possible by unrestricted grant funding from AstraZeneca.
Michael Salla, Deputy CEO for Everton in the Community, said: “We’re delighted to be launching this project, which is the first screening service of its kind for heart failure, COPD and asthma in England. It will use next-generation diagnostics that don’t require phlebotomy, while also using artificial intelligence to help detect heart failure and prevent premature mortality alongside reducing the complications of these conditions due to the early detection.”
The heart and lung screening hub will work to raise awareness of medical conditions which cause chronic breathlessness, offer screenings for heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other chronic conditions which are common in the local population, as well as offer lifestyle reviews and advice.
The hub will be using the LumiraDx NT-proBNP test, which is the only such diagnostic available that can be used with a simple fingerprick sample. Run on the LumiraDx platform, the LumiraDx NT-proBNP test is a smart, automated, highly portable diagnostic solution designed to improve access and ease of use for heart health checks, all within 12 minutes.
Covering multiple clinical areas, the LumiraDx Platform is also ideally placed for lung-related health checks and other cardiometabolic disease screening, offering HbA1c, CRP, D-Dimer, Influenza A/B, RSV and SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Tests; all on a single platform.
David Walton, Chief Commercial Officer at LumiraDx points out, “A full blood draw can be daunting for patients, so the use of a simple fingerprick sample greatly broadens access to heart health checks within the community. By diagnosing heart failure faster, we aim to make a positive impact on patient outcomes, which then translates into positive economic outcomes for the NHS.”
The programme will also work closely with Pumping Marvellous, the UK’s patient-led heart failure charity, that offers vital support to help people live well with heart failure.
The strategic partnership with Everton in the Community will also work closely with Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and next generation medical technology providers Lenus Health, Us2.ai and ArtiQ