iHeF

iHeF (Intelligent Heart Evaluation Framework) is an AI algorithm which could save the NHS substantial sums each year by screening out heart failure patients who don’t need scans. The technology could free up hospital diagnostic capacity, cut waiting times, and save lives by fast-tracking patients who need treatment.

Diagnosing heart failure is expensive and slow

Over a million people in the UK suffer from heart failure, yet diagnosing it is expensive and slow. Doctors typically use an ultrasound test known as echocardiography, a complex process which requires specialised staff and can only be done in a hospital or specialised diagnostic centre.

The NHS performed over 1.8m echocardiograms in 2024/25, but the waiting list remains stubbornly high at around 150k patients. One in four waits over six weeks, one in ten waits over three months.

At the same time, only a quarter of echocardiograms produce clinically actionable findings, mainly because many of these patients tested don’t have heart failure or have minor cardiac abnormalities which do not necessarily need medical attention. Tests that turn out negative cost hundreds of millions annually –  one analysis estimated total pathway costs at around £600m – and delay those who do have heart failure from getting the attention they need.

The problem is likely to get worse as the population ages, driving up demand for diagnostics.

iHeF will make screening cheaper, faster, earlier, and more precise.

iHeF can screen for heart failure from a routine Electrocardiogram (ECG) recording by detecting changes in the heart’s structure and pumping functions. ECG is far cheaper than an echocardiogram and is already done early on by clinical staff with minimal training, so the invention would not add any new steps to the current care pathway.

The equipment is easy to use, so it doesn’t rely on highly specialised staff. Crucially, it can be done outside of a hospital, such as in GP clinics, Community Diagnostic Centres, or even in the home.

The technology is being prepared for clinical use.

iHeF is pre-spinout and has been awarded £1.3m by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme to develop the invention for use in the NHS to bring down waiting times.

The money will fund the testing needed to secure regulatory approval. The team will test iHeF against today’s gold standard approaches; work with patients, clinicians and technicians to optimise the design; and model what the overall health and economic impact could be. 

We expect iHeF to be ready for clinical use by the end of 2028.