Derby-based heart health screening company secures £25,000 funding to launch a new stroke screening service

Your Heart Scan, a Derby-based heart health screening company, has secured £25,000 funding from First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans under the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme to purchase a specialised machine for the launching of a new service. 

Your Heart Scan provides diagnostic heart screening for individuals over 18, with advanced physiologists offering appointments six days a week, with no waiting lists, in an exclusive and private setting. 

Patients can choose a clinic-based face-to-face fitting service for their remote ECG monitoring devices, ensuring a comprehensive and convenient experience. 

Claire Nieuwoudt, Founder of Your Heart Scan, has over 25 years of experience working in NHS Cardiology and saw a need for local people to be able to book self-booked screenings to help save lives. Recognising the impact of preventative medicine, she aims to offer early screenings, preventing premature deaths and easing anxieties from family history.  

Specialising in Adult Echocardiography since 1999, Claire contributed at an advanced level to both NHS and private echocardiography services and now wants to take that knowledge into supporting clients at Your Heart Scan. 

The funding from First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans is being used to acquire a second ultrasound system, enabling her to operate clinics simultaneously at both sites and introduce a new stroke screening service.   

First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans provides business loans ranging from £500 – £150,000, which are funded through several regional funds, for start-ups and SMEs that are unable to borrow from traditional high-street lenders. The not-for-profit organisation reinvests any surplus into loan funds to further support economic growth and job creation in the local communities. 

Claire Nieuwoudt, Founder of Your Heart Scan, comments: “The loan was a game-changer, enabling us to acquire a second ultrasound machine for our stroke screening service and simultaneous cardiac clinics. The support was excellent – guidance through every step, prompt answers to questions, and positive feedback during regular calls. It’s reassuring to not only have the financial support but also hear positive opinions about our company.” 

First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans is an official Business Support Partner for the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loan Scheme within a network of business support partners, delivering Start Up Loans across the East Midlands, South East Midlands and West Midlands. 

Richard Bearman, Managing Director of Small Business Lending, British Business Bank commented: “We’re delighted that Start Up Loans can support a business such as Your Heart Scan. It’s a great business providing an important service and I’m excited to see it’s expanding and getting a new ultrasound system.”