EAT secures £500k bridge funding to reduce NHS feeding‑tube preventable incidents
This article covers Enteral Access Technologies, a Liverpool-based medtech company, and its securing of a £500,000 bridging round to accelerate international roll-out of its DoubleCHEK bedside device. The funding is intended to support wider adoption in the UK, United States and Europe of a bedside check designed to reduce misplacement of nasogastric feeding tubes, a frequently reported patient safety failure.
Liverpool-based medtech company Enteral Access Technologies has secured a bridging round to accelerate international roll-out of its DoubleCHEK device, a bedside tool designed to reduce dangerous misplacement of nasogastric feeding tubes. The funding will support the company as it seeks wider adoption in the UK, United States and Europe, where misplacement remains a frequently reported patient safety failure.
Why it matters
Misplacement of nasogastric feeding tubes is among the most frequently reported Never Events in the NHS — serious, preventable incidents. Verifying tube position at the bedside typically relies on methods that can be subjective or require X-rays, which add delay, cost and radiation exposure.
A simple, reliable bedside check that reduces reliance on X-rays could cut harm and speed care. That is the problem Enteral Access Technologies aims to address with DoubleCHEK.
Inside the product
DoubleCHEK combines two verification methods in a single disposable device. A CO2 indicator is used early in insertion to flag accidental lung placement by detecting carbon dioxide, which indicates airway placement and signals the tube should be withdrawn. If no CO2 is detected, the tube can be advanced to the stomach and a pH indicator then confirms the acidic environment.
The device is positioned as providing a fast, easy-to-interpret bedside check that aligns with emerging NHS safety guidance favouring combined CO2 and pH verification. By reducing reliance on X-rays and subjective interpretation, DoubleCHEK is intended to streamline routine verification while lowering the risk of misplacement.
Founder perspective
Enteral Access Technologies was founded by George Gallagher, an electrical engineer with two decades of experience designing and manufacturing medical devices. Gallagher has said the problem is personal — he required nasogastric feeding as a child — and that experience informed the company’s development priorities.
In the announcement, George Gallagher, CEO of EAT, said:
This investment reflects strong support for our mission to improve patient safety worldwide. We’re encouraged by the growing interest in DoubleCHEK and remain focused on expanding access to safer enteral technologies.
The company says it is preparing for its next phase of development and exploring options for further funding.
Who’s backing the round
The bridging round was led by British Design Fund and totals £500,000. The round also includes continued support from the company’s existing investors. The financing is earmarked to support international expansion and wider clinical adoption of DoubleCHEK.
In the announcement, Damon Bonser, CEO, British Design Fund, said:
We’re delighted to back Enteral Access Technologies at this pivotal stage in its journey. EAT has already demonstrated early commercial traction and is led by a founder who brings deep clinical insight and a proven track record in medtech innovation. The company’s commitment to solving a critical patient safety challenge aligns perfectly with our mission to support purpose-driven design and scalable UK innovation.
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Traction and rollout
EAT reports growing UK traction as healthcare providers update practices to favour combined CO2 and pH verification. Internationally, the firm says demand increased in the United States after a leading children’s hospital adopted DoubleCHEK in January. The company also attributes part of that demand uptick to the withdrawal of a comparable product from the market, creating near-term opportunity.
In Europe, Italy is cited as an early adopter, with repeat orders and initial uptake across hospitals indicating early commercial momentum. These customers are relevant because they demonstrate clinical acceptance across paediatric and adult settings and suggest routes to scale in regulated hospital markets.
The bigger picture
Enteral Access Technologies’ progress sits at the intersection of patient safety, low-cost diagnostics and the medtech industry’s commercialisation path from UK innovation to global markets. The NHS focus on eliminating Never Events, combined with regulatory scrutiny of bedside verification methods, creates both need and opportunity for pragmatic devices that reduce preventable harm.
The deal also reflects continued investor interest in UK medtech that addresses clear clinical needs and can be adopted within established care pathways. As EAT pursues further funding and broader roll-out, its progress will be a useful case study for how small medtech companies move from national pilots to international commercial traction in the UK and European ecosystem.
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