A project supported by the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Sustainable Innovation has been shortlisted for a MediPex Innovation Award for its work to help GPs spot early warning signs of cancer using routine blood tests.
The High or Elevated Level of Platelets (HELP) Flag project, led by the University of Exeter in partnership with the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and supported by the HRC, has been recognised in the ‘Delivering benefits through diagnosis and screening’ category.
The project involves a new way of analysing routine blood tests taken in primary care to identify patients who may be at increased risk of cancer. At the Royal Devon alone, around 500,000 of these tests are analysed each year, including platelet counts. A high platelet count can sometimes be an early indicator of cancers such as lung and bowel.
Through HRC-supported research, the Exeter team has developed an algorithm that applies more personalised thresholds to platelet counts based on factors such as age and sex. This allows clinicians to more accurately identify patients who may benefit from further investigation.
Now rolled out to 60 GP practices across Devon and expanded to Liverpool, the programme is supporting earlier diagnosis and improving outcomes for patients, demonstrating the impact of HRC-enabled innovation in real-world clinical settings.
