News / Tech
Incubator-based medtech firm to launch ‘rapid diagnostic’ centre
A leading medtech firm is set to open its first high-capacity cancer diagnostics centre in the region, promising faster access to life-saving tests for NHS patients.
Bristol-based SAH Diagnostics, developed at UWE Bristol’s Future Space innovation hub, has treated more than 300,000 patients across 21 NHS trusts since its launch in 2021.
The firm says it is “on a mission” to help reduce waiting lists through rapid-response mobile diagnostics and modular clinics.
The new Bradley Stoke centre, opening in November, will act as a pilot site for SAH’s planned network of clinics across the UK.
The centre will house six fully equipped clinical rooms, employ 20 staff and accommodate up to 60 patients a day
The diagnostic centre will offer rapid tests in urology, dermatology, gynaecology and ultrasound, alongside the company’s 28-day cancer pathway, which helps patients move from GP referral to diagnosis and results in under three weeks.
Designed to deliver savings of 10 to 15 per cent per patient compared to equivalent NHS provision, the model is expected to increase clinical capacity, cut supply costs and, in the long run, enable an additional 14,000 patients to be treated in the region each year.
The centre will house six fully equipped clinical rooms, employ 20 staff and accommodate up to 60 patients a day.
It will also play a key role in tackling NHS workforce shortages by offering training for advanced nurse practitioners and a certification programme for sonographers.
Executive director Feroz Agad said: “Earlier cancer diagnosis means better outcomes for patients and less pressure on the NHS. Our new clinic brings diagnostics closer to the community and shows what’s possible when a streamlined model works hand-in-hand with the NHS.”
The diagnostics centre in Bradley Stoke while under construction
SAH’s approach has already been adopted by Torbay and South Devon, King’s College and Leicester NHS Trusts, achieving significant reductions in waiting times and diagnostic backlogs.
Sunita Berry, managing director at Peninsula Cancer Alliance, added: “Partnering with SAH enabled us to accelerate diagnostics and reduce patient anxiety. Their innovative, solutions-focused approach shows what’s possible when innovation meets frontline care.”
With demand for cancer diagnosis in England projected to rise by 21 per cent over the next five years, the Bradley Stoke centre is expected to accelerate diagnosis and ease NHS pressures.
SAH Diagnostics is among several tech companies based at UWE Bristol’s Future Space over the past decade, spanning robotics, AI, medtech, biotech and digital innovation.
Other innovative firms to emerge from Future Space include robotics pioneer Open Bionics, autonomous vehicle developer Fusion Processing, sustainable materials start-up Albotherm and mobility scooter firm Supersmith.
All photos: First Avenue Photography
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
