Urgent blood samples taken from patients at a major London hospital are to be sent for analysis by drone to avoid traffic across the capital.
Drone flights will take a fraction of the time it takes to courier samples by road, officials said.
Medics at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust have launched a pilot scheme where drones will be used to courier blood samples between its hospitals.
Moving samples between Guy’s Hospital and the lab at St Thomas’ Hospital can take more than half an hour by road using van or motorbike couriers, but they can be transported in less than two minutes by drone, officials said.
There are also environmental benefits, the research team added.
The new six-month project, which is being regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority, will involve transporting blood samples from patients undergoing surgery who are at high risk of complications from bleeding disorders.
The pilot scheme, which is being trialled in conjunction with healthcare logistics company Apian and drone delivery company Wing, is expected to start in autumn 2024.
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Experts said that the initial pilot could pave the way for other types of drone deliveries between the hospitals run by the trust, and other London hospitals.
“The drone pilot combines two of our key priorities — providing the best possible patient care and improving sustainability,” said Professor Ian Abbs, chief executive at Guy’s and St Thomas’.
“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.”
Sophie O’Sullivan, director of future of flight at the Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Innovative trials like this from Guy’s and St Thomas’, Apian and Wing help demonstrate the many positive and safe ways that drones can be used for society — in this case, to improve patient outcomes and deliver significant environmental benefits.”
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Dr Hammad Jeilani, co-founder of Apian, said: “Drones can increase the responsiveness and resilience of healthcare logistics, allowing clinicians to be more productive and patients to get the care they need sooner.
“An NHS drone delivery network in London, starting with this innovative trial, will provide on-demand, automated and sustainable deliveries, helping the NHS create more efficient models of working and our doctors and nurses to deliver the highest quality care for patients.”
Drones have been used in other NHS trials to transport medical products.
A recent research project by NHS Blood and Transplant found that drones can safely be used to deliver blood stocks between hospitals.
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Officials sent packs of “red blood cell components” through the skies and via road between Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Wansbeck Hospital and Alnwick Infirmary and back again.
Tests to assess the quality of the blood and whether it would still be viable for clinical use found no significant differences in the blood that was flown or driven.
A similar trial for blood platelets is being planned.