The blood test can distinguish between bacterial or viral infections much more quickly than traditional tests, so serious infections like sepsis or meningitis can be picked up sooner.

NHS England has funded a trial of the technology by emergency departments in Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, St Mary's Hospital in London and Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle.

The new blood test only takes 15 minutes to show whether an infection is viral or bacterial – giving doctors more rapid information and cutting the time to diagnose illnesses, meaning patients can be treated more quickly and preventing them from being given antibiotics that may not be needed.

Doctors taking part say they have already seen the benefits of the test, including in a child with meningococcal meningitis who could be treated much more quickly as a result, and a child with sepsis who could start antibiotics straight away.

Professor Simon Kenny, national clinical director for children and young people at NHS England, said: ‘Innovations like the 15-minute blood test speed up diagnosis and allow focused treatment, as well as freeing up resources to treat more patients, so it's great we're able to trial the test this winter when the NHS is at its busiest.

‘These pilots are a crucial step in testing new technology so that innovations with the most impact can be rolled out to further improve care for more NHS patients.'

Minister for public health and prevention, Ashley Dalton, said: ‘This trial could be transformative - helping doctors make faster, more accurate decisions when every second counts.

‘It's part of our mission to build an NHS fit for the future, using innovation and technology to improve patient care and ease pressure on our hardworking staff during the busiest times of year.'

The study looking at the MeMed BV test is being led by the University of Liverpool and Health Innovation North West Coast with funding provided through NHS England's Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare, which aims to speed-up adoption of innovations into healthcare.