NIHR-supported trial tests a rapid, low-cost point-of-care test that can diagnose flu, COVID‑19, and RSV in minutes, potentially speeding up winter diagnosis and care across the NHSAn NIHR-supported trial is underway in Southampton to evaluate a new rapid point-of-care test that could identify winter respiratory viruses such as flu, COVID‑19, and RSV in just minutes. The scalable, low-cost biosensor platform aims to provide faster diagnosis than current PCR testing, helping clinicians make timely decisions and reduce winter pressures on NHS services. How the new test works and its advantagesCurrent hospital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test processes can take over two hours to deliver a result, require laboratory processing, and are expensive to perform. The new test, developed by UK medical device company Ediphor, can be used by staff without any specialised training, costs around £2 to £3 per test, and would be around ten times cheaper than the current rapid PCR testing. Rapid, accurate diagnosis is crucial during winter surges, but current testing methods are too slow and often very expensive.