Could the echo reports you already hold tell you more about heart failure in your population than your records currently show?
Many patients have had a scan that describes their heart function, yet their record doesn’t carry a heart failure subtype, or a heart failure diagnosis at all. The information to close that gap is usually already there, in the narrative and measurements of echo reports. It just isn’t often read at population scale.
That’s what this audit sets out to do. Hosted by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, the National CLEAR Programme is looking for seven echocardiography providers to take part in a funded AI-enabled audit for heart failure.
Want to find out more before applying? Join our information webinar on Monday 16 November, 3:30pm to 4:15pm.
How it works
We’ll read up to ten years of your existing echo reports, using an AI-enabled method against a rule set written and signed off by heart failure specialists. Rather than relying on ejection fraction or the coded conclusion alone, the audit looks at the narrative and measurements together to identify heart failure phenotype (HFrEF, HFmrEF or HFpEF).
Senior heart failure specialists check the outputs before anything is released, and your clinicians stay in charge throughout. The audit gives you the evidence, and your team decides what to do with it.
What you’ll receive
You’ll receive a site report showing phenotype for every patient scanned, how closely this matches the diagnoses recorded, and reporting completeness against NICE NG106. You’ll also get a breakdown by registered GP practice to share with those practices, and see how your findings compare with the other participating sites.
You won’t be doing this alone. A dedicated CLEAR team, including a clinical lead, data analysts, data engineers and a project manager, will work with you from start to finish, with support for data extraction and information governance. There’s no cost to take part beyond staff time.
Together, the participating providers will also help build a national picture of how heart failure is identified across the NHS.
Who can apply
We’d like to hear from NHS trusts and independent sector providers that deliver echocardiography, including direct-access echo for primary care, in the five first-wave Prevention Accelerator areas: Greater London, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, South Yorkshire and the West Midlands. Each provider applies in its own right, and every application is assessed on the same criteria.
Join our webinar
Our information webinar is a chance to talk through what taking part involves and how applications will be assessed, and there’ll be plenty of time for questions.
It will be especially useful for echocardiography, cardiology and heart failure leads, and the IT, BI and information governance colleagues who would support the work. You don’t need to attend in order to apply.
Ready to apply?
Please submit one form per provider by 5pm on Friday 20 November 2026. You’ll be asked about your named leads, where your echo reports are held and in what format, BSE accreditation, whether clinic letters and BNP results are available, and how a bulk extract would be run.
Submit your expression of interest
Key dates
- Information webinar: Monday 16 November 2026, 3:30pm to 4:15pm
- Expressions of interest close: 5pm, Friday 20 November 2026
- All applicants hear the outcome: by Friday 27 November 2026
- Work begins: Monday 14 December 2026
- Final site reports: by 31 March 2027
Got a question?
We’re happy to help. Just email the CLEAR team at info@33n.co.uk.
Disclaimer: The CLEAR Programme is funded by NHS England and, in part, by an independent grant from Bayer plc. Bayer has had no involvement in developing the material or selecting providers.
