London hospitals trial drones for blood sample delivery

Essential blood samples taken from patients at a major London hospital will be sent by drone for analysis, avoiding the capital’s traffic.

This will enable a much faster delivery of the samples, according to officials.

Led by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, the pilot program will carry blood between both hospitals.

The two-mile journey can take over half an hour using a van or motorbike courier, while drones can deliver samples within a couple of minutes.

Regulated by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, the project is expected to span six months. It will involve transporting blood samples from patients undergoing operations with a higher risk of complications due to pre-existing bleeding disorders.

Prof Ian Abbs, Chief Executive at Guy’s and St Thomas’ commented: “The drone pilot combines two of our key priorities – providing the best possible patient care and improving sustainability. We are proud to be the first trust in London to trial this innovative approach to help speed up blood sample analysis for our most urgent cases.”

The pilot scheme has been organised as a partnership between Guy’s and St Thomas’; Apian, a healthcare logistics company founded by NHS doctors; and Wing, a global drone delivery company that is part of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, and is anticipated to start later this autumn.

A recent drone trial launched by the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust discovered that drones could be used to safely and efficiently deliver blood stocks between hospitals.