"If I hadn't got the screening done, I'd still be waiting for a hospital appointment. One day it would have been too late. Everton — they've saved my life."
These are the words of Gina, 75, from Liverpool — one of more than 1,500 people screened through the Everton BEAT Breathlessness Hub, a community-based early detection programme delivered by Everton in the Community (EitC) and funded by the British Heart Foundation.
Gina had been experiencing breathlessness but faced long waiting lists and multiple cancellations for a hospital appointment. While attending a social support session at EitC, she decided to take up a free BEAT Breathlessness screening.
A simple finger-prick blood test revealed an elevated NT-proBNP level, prompting an AI-assisted echocardiogram performed by a heart failure specialist nurse and assessed remotely by Dr. Rajiv Sankaranarayanan, Consultant Cardiologist and Clinical Lead for the project. The scan, powered by Us2.ai, uncovered a diagnosis of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) — a potentially life-threatening condition where the heart is unable to pump blood effectively. Treatment was started the same day.
No GP referral. No waiting list. No hospital appointment needed.
About the Everton BEAT Breathlessness Project
The BEAT Breathlessness Hub is England's first heart and lung community-based screening hub, located at The People's Place — a purpose-built wellbeing hub adjacent to Goodison Park in North Liverpool. The project targets adults aged 40 and over experiencing breathlessness, exhaustion or ankle swelling, and can be accessed without a GP referral.
The programme uses a stepped diagnostic pathway:
A short symptom check using the BEAT tool (Breathlessness, Exhaustion, Ankle Swelling, Time for NT-proBNP), followed by a finger-prick NT-proBNP blood test where appropriate, followed by an AI-assisted echocardiogram using Us2.ai for those with elevated NT-proBNP, with cardiologist oversight and same-day treatment initiation where needed.
The project is delivered in partnership with the University of Liverpool, NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and The Pumping Marvellous Foundation, with funding from the British Heart Foundation Healthcare Implementation Fund.
Read the project methods paper in the European Heart Journal →
Us2.ai at the heart of the pathway
Us2.ai's FDA-cleared, CE-marked AI echocardiography platform plays a central role in the BEAT Breathlessness diagnostic pathway. By enabling AI-assisted echo to be performed by heart failure specialist nurses and general practitioners in a community setting — with remote cardiologist oversight — the programme brings specialist-level cardiac assessment directly to patients who might otherwise never receive it.
This is precisely the vision Us2.ai was built for: extending the reach of high-quality echocardiography beyond the hospital, into the communities where it is needed most.
We are proud to be the AI echo solution of choice for the Everton BEAT Breathlessness Project and deeply grateful to the entire team for the life-changing work they do.
What the numbers show
The pilot study, published in JACC Heart Failure in 2025, identified new heart failure in 3% and new COPD in 12% of attendees. Building on these results, the project has received BHF funding to scale to 1,500 patients over 12 months. The project methods have now been published in the European Heart Journal.
Read the pilot study results in JACC Heart Failure →
Gina's message to others
Gina's experience is a powerful reminder of what is possible when healthcare comes to the community. In her own words:
"It could save your life."