Innovate UK has awarded more than £300,000 in funding to a collaboration between the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Sustainable Innovation and UK healthtech company Sanome, to accelerate the development of an AI-enabled system for the early detection of hospital-acquired infections.
The 18-month SMART grant will support the co-design and roll-out of MEMORI, a Class IIb CE-certified software-as-a-medical-device (SaMD) platform that analyses real-time clinical data to predict infection risk up to seven days before symptoms appear.
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) account for more than 20 per cent of NHS bed days each year, with research suggesting that between 35 and 55 per cent are preventable through earlier detection and intervention. Conditions such as pneumonia, MRSA and Clostridium difficile contribute an estimated 7.1 million excess bed days annually, at a cost of around £2.7 billion to the NHS.
Preliminary studies using MEMORI’s first certified version have already shown it outperforming the NHS-standard National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) in detecting patient deterioration. The new funding will support the development of enhanced capabilities, including:
• Integration of additional multimodal data sources such as laboratory results, prescriptions and clinical notes, alongside existing inputs including vital signs and medications
• Deeper integration with Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems to embed insights into clinicians’ existing workflows
• A targeted 20 per cent improvement in predictive accuracy, extending the window for early intervention
• Improved explainability and machine-learning performance to increase transparency and clinical confidence
The upgraded MEMORI v2 platform will be validated through a large-scale live deployment across multiple wards at Royal Devon University NHS Foundation Trust, addressing what remains one of the NHS’s most persistent clinical and financial challenges.
The collaboration is supported by the NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre and is intended to pave the way for broader adoption across the NHS. It also lays the foundations for a long-term partnership between Sanome and the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre, hosted by the Royal Devon in partnership with the University of Exeter.
Together, the partners aim to build a longitudinal, real-time view of patient health, initially focused on infection risk but designed to expand into wider preventative and personalised care pathways.
Benedikt von Thüngen, chief executive and founder of Sanome, said: “Our mission is to prevent deterioration before it becomes life-threatening. MEMORI shows how real-world NHS data, when safely unlocked, can be transformed into actionable bedside insights using multimodal AI. Working with the Exeter HealthTech Research Centre, with support from Innovate UK, allows us to demonstrate both the clinical and system-wide benefits of AI in one of the UK’s leading NHS trusts.”
Dr Nick Kennedy, digital innovation and AI theme lead at the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Sustainable Innovation and a consultant gastroenterologist at the Royal Devon, said early intervention was critical. “Hospital-acquired infections remain one of the biggest threats to patient safety, particularly for vulnerable patients. By co-designing MEMORI, we can show how AI can support clinicians, transform care and ultimately save lives.”
Chris Sawyer, innovation lead for digital health at Innovate UK, added: “Supporting the safe introduction of AI into frontline NHS care is essential for building a more resilient, patient-centred health service. This partnership is a strong example of how innovation and clinical expertise can combine to tackle long-standing challenges.”
Initial impact data from the live deployment is expected throughout 2026, alongside plans for further rollout across NHS trusts and healthcare organisations nationwide.
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Innovate UK awards £300k grant to boost AI-led early detection of hospital infections