A collaboration between the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Sustainable Innovation and UK health tech company Sanome has secured an Innovate UK SMART grant of over £300,000 to co-design the evolution of MEMORI, an AI-powered clinical decision support platform which enables earlier detection of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) – alerting clinical teams up to seven days before signs of infection.
Preliminary studies have already shown that MEMORI, a Class IIb CE-certified SaMD platform, outperforms the NHS-standard National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) system in detecting deterioration. This 18-month collaboration will look to develop further capabilities based on:
- New multimodal data inputs, including laboratory results, prescriptions and clinical notes, in addition to existing inputs, such as vitals, labs, observations and medications – providing instant access to more accurate insights into the patient and what is happening to them.
- Further scalable Electronic Patient Record (EPR) integration, making it easier for clinicians to access the information within existing workflows.
- Increased predictability by a further 20%, bringing risk detection forward and creating a greater window of opportunity to save more lives.
- Improved explainability and machine-learning performance, increasing transparency and reassurance for clinical teams and healthcare organisations.
MEMORI will be validated in a large-scale, live deployment across multiple wards at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, addressing one of the NHS’s largest clinical and financial challenges: HAIs.
HAIs, such as pneumonia, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), account for more than 7.1 million excess bed days and 21% of all bed days annually, costing the NHS an estimated £2.7 billion each year. Research shows that 35-55% of infections are preventable through earlier detection and intervention. By alerting clinical teams up to seven days before signs of infection, MEMORI supports clinicians to act before symptoms escalate, reducing complications and preventing deterioration.
This collaboration, supported by the NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre and University of Exeter, will help pave the way for broader rollout across the NHS, by establishing a national framework on how real-time data and AI can be used safely to transform patient outcomes at scale.
It also lays the foundation for a long-term partnership between Sanome and the NIHR HRC in Sustainable Innovation. Together, they will co-develop and test MEMORI, along with additional tools and data sources, to build a longitudinal view of patient health, initially focused on infection risk, and over time expanding to capture a broader picture of health and disease to enable more preventative, proactive and personalised care.
Dr Nick Kennedy, Digital Innovation and AI Theme Lead at the NIHR HRC in Sustainable Innovation and Consultant Gastroenterologist at the Royal Devon, added: “Hospital-acquired infections remain one of the biggest threats to patient safety, particularly for vulnerable patients with complex conditions. That means early intervention is vital. By co-designing MEMORI with the support of Innovate UK, we are proud to be among the first to test such technology and show how AI can support clinicians, transform patient care and ultimately save lives.”
Benedikt von Thüngen, CEO 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 and securely unlocked, can be transformed into actionable bedside insights that change outcomes using the power of 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.”
Chris Sawyer, Innovation Lead Digital Health, Innovate UK added: “Supporting the safe introduction of AI into frontline NHS care is a vital step towards building a more resilient and patient-centred health service. This partnership with Sanome and the Royal Devon is a strong example of how innovation and clinical expertise can come together to tackle long-standing challenges like hospital-acquired infections.”
The first impact data and evaluation from this large-scale deployment is expected throughout 2026, alongside further rollout to other NHS and healthcare organisations across the UK.
