Lenus Health to support launch of England's first community-based heart and lung screening hub

Full press release issued by Everton in the Community

Made possible thanks to unrestricted grant funding from global science-led pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, the official charity of Everton Football Club will run the unique hub from the recently opened People’s Place. The hub will introduce a novel clinical workflow supported by the latest technologies and specialist input from a multidisciplinary team of primary care, heart and lung specialists to focus on early diagnosis and early treatment for chronic breathlessness in a community care setting. Patients can either walk in from the local community or be signposted by their local primary care organisation.

The heart and lung screening hub will work to raise awareness of medical conditions which cause chronic breathlessness, offer screenings for heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other chronic conditions which are common in the local population as well as offer lifestyle reviews and advice.

Heart failure and COPD are a national priority with patients often being undiagnosed and misdiagnosed, with an increased risk of poor outcomes including a greater risk of hospitalisation and death. 50% of breathlessness in adults over 40 years old is caused by heart failure, COPD, obesity, anaemia, anxiety or depression and the heart and lung hub will provide a life-saving service to the local community and patients signposted by their local primary care organisation.

Michael Salla, Deputy CEO for Everton in the Community, said: “We’re delighted to be launching this project, which is the first screening service of its kind for heart failure, COPD and asthma in England. It will use artificial intelligence to help detect heart failure and prevent premature mortality alongside reducing the complications of these conditions due to the early detection. We can’t thank AstraZeneca enough for their support to make this happen."

Dr Ed Piper, Medical & Scientific Affairs Director at AstraZeneca UK, comments “AstraZeneca is delighted to support this innovative screening hub in the heart of Merseyside with grant funding. Prompt identification of the underlying cause of chronic breathlessness allows appropriate, tailored intervention which reduces symptoms and improves long term outcomes.  The convenience of the hub in The People’s Place will help ensure that broad, rapid access to essential diagnostics is embedded in the community.”

Dr Sankaranarayanan, Consultant Heart Failure Cardiologist at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Heart Failure Pathway Lead for Cheshire & Merseyside, said: “This novel project will take screening, diagnosis and life-saving treatments for heart failure and COPD, closer to people’s homes.”

The launch of England’s first heart and lung community-based screening hub will also see Everton in the Community work closely with Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and leading medical technology providers Us2.ai, LumiraDx, ArtiQ and Lenus Health, ensuring this new hub is a ‘next gen’ project in the Liverpool 4 community.

The programme will also work closely with Pumping Marvellous, the UK’s patient-led heart failure charity, who offer vital support to help people live well with heart failure. Nick Hartshorne-Evans, founder and CEO of the charity, commented: “Patients are often initially misdiagnosed or diagnosed late. Patients tell us in our communities that catching their diagnosis quickly and efficiently means they know what they are dealing with. This improves their mental health and ensures they are not suffering from anxiety around the unknown whilst improving access to guideline standard care and treatments.” 

Opened in March 2023, The People’s Place is the first purpose-built mental health and wellbeing hub attached to a Premier League football club. It houses Everton in the Community’s 15 mental health projects and provide wellbeing activities alongside educational and employment support, using virtual reality, immersive experiences and artificial intelligence to complement delivery. The People’s Place will also offer a layer of professional care from health and wellbeing practitioners, GPs and mental health professionals. 

Everton in the Community has been delivering award-winning, life-changing and life-saving mental health provision across Merseyside for more than 15 years and The People’s Place, situated on Spellow Lane, forms the latest part of the charity’s Goodison Campus where more than £13million has been invested in the regeneration of the local area and restored pride with new buildings designed to meet the ever-growing needs of the community.