Rapid Testing for Patients with Chest Pain

Chest pain is one of the most common reasons people go to to A&E, but less than 10% of people are diagnosed with a heart attack.

Doctors need to rule out a heart attack quickly and safely before patients can go home. That has often meant waiting several hours for blood samples to be sent to the laboratory and, in many cases, having a second test three hours later.

Thanks to our funding of the Dragons' Den innovation programme at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, the Northern General Emergency Department was the first centre in the UK to invest in a high-sensitivity rapid blood test designed to transform the assessment and discharge of patients arriving at A&E with chest pain.

The test is done at a patients' bedside with laboratory-grade precision in just 10 to 15 minutes. Rapid testing gives patients immediate reassurance, and helps identify those needing urgent heart treatment faster so that NHS teams can prioritise cardiac interventions when they are needed most.

A month-long pilot of the rapid testing was made possible after the project was selected as one of the winners of the Dragons' Den innovation programme, which supports staff from STH to test new ideas and technologies that can help improve outcomes for patients and make a real difference to peoples' lives across Sheffield.

The generosity of our supporters is helping NHS staff explore new ideas, trial cutting-edge technology and find better ways to care for patients across our hospitals.

Published: Wednesday 29th of July 2026