By Diagnostics World Staff
November 4, 2025 | NHS England is trialing a 15-minute blood test that can distinguish between bacterial or viral infections, identifying serious diseases like sepsis or meningitis quickly in children.
When children arrive at the hospital with fevers of unknown origin, the type of infection can only be confirmed by a blood test that needs to be analyzed in a lab, which can take a few hours. In the meantime, children may be given antibiotics or other treatment until a full diagnosis can be made, which takes time and resources, or they may initially be diagnosed with a minor illness when something more serious is at play.
The study uses the MeMed BV test. From a small serum or venous whole blood sample, the test measures three host-response biomarkers—TRAIL, IP-10, and CRP. Based on the results of the immune response markers, a machine learning algorithm determines whether there is a bacterial or viral infection in about 15 minutes.
The test itself is not new. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted 510(k) clearance for use of the MeMed BV test on whole blood samples in July 2023. By June 2025, MeMed reported that it had tested more than 100,000 patients.
The current UK study is being led by the University of Liverpool and Health Innovation North West Coast. The project was granted funding from NHS England’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare in March 2025; SBRI grants aim to speed-up adoption of innovations into healthcare. Three hospitals are trialing the test: Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, St Mary’s Hospital in London and Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle. The study will run through March 2026.
Doctors taking part say they have already seen the benefits of the test, including in a child with meningococcal meningitis who could be treated much more quickly as a result and a child with sepsis who could start antibiotics straight away.
In a statement, Professor Simon Kenny, National Clinical Director for Children and Young People at NHS England, said: “Quick diagnosis is crucial in ensuring patients get the most effective treatment, particularly for children who may have a potentially life-threatening illness. Innovations like the 15-minute blood test speed up diagnosis and allow focused treatment, as well as freeing up resources to treat more patients, so it’s great we’re able to trial the test this winter when the NHS is at its busiest.”
The health service is predicting another pressured winter, with 2025 currently on track to be the busiest on record for A&Es and ambulance services. To prepare, local NHS leaders have tested their bespoke winter plans as well as identifying patients most vulnerable to winter viruses and at risk of a hospital admission, so they can be given targeted care and vaccinations.