Cyted Health Awarded Grant to Transform Early Detection of Oesophageal Cancer in Wales and Northern Ireland

Cyted Health has been awarded a contract for innovation to pilot an innovative diagnostic pathway aimed at improving early detection of oesophageal cancer in Wales and Northern Ireland. The funding, awarded under the SBRI Centre of Excellence and Innovation and Market Development Unit in Northern Ireland, will support the implementation of the EndoSign® capsule sponge test, a non-endoscopic diagnostic test designed to help reduce endoscopy backlogs and improve early detection rates.

The project will be delivered in collaboration with Cardiff & Vale UHB, Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, and Western Health & Social Care Trust. It aims to demonstrate a sustainable model for integrating capsule sponge diagnostics into clinical pathways.

The initiative supports companies developing solutions to challenges in the health and social care system. This contract will enable Cyted to demonstrate how its EndoSign test can be integrated into routine clinical care across Wales and Northern Ireland, helping relieve pressure on endoscopy services and improve cancer detection rates.

Early detection of cancer is a national priority. Currently, over 12,000 patients in Wales and 16,000 in Northern Ireland are experiencing long waits for an endoscopy, often exceeding 14-26 weeks. These delays contribute to late-stage cancer diagnoses, which significantly reduce survival rates. This project will provide evidence for how innovative technology can address these issues at a national level.

This initiative directly supports national cancer strategies, including the Cancer Improvement Plan for NHS Wales and A Cancer Strategy for Northern Ireland both of which prioritise early diagnosis, workforce, and innovation.

Basirat Afinowi, Head of Projects at Cyted Health, said:

“This funding will enable us to demonstrate how innovative diagnostics can help the NHS tackle the challenge of late-stage oesophageal cancer diagnosis. The grant will allow us to work with NHS partners in Wales and Northern Ireland to embed EndoSign into clinical pathways and develop a blueprint for national adoption.”

The project will run until March 2025, with results contributing to policy decisions on scaling the technology nationally.

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