London hospital to trial drone delivery for urgent blood samples

In a UK first, urgent blood samples taken from patients will be delivered by drone to bypass London traffic, a hospital in the British capital announced on Tuesday.

The six-month trial, set to launch in the coming weeks, will transport blood samples from Guy's Hospital in south London to a laboratory via drones, cutting the delivery time from over 30 minutes to under two minutes, according to researchers.

Sophie O'Sullivan, director of the future of flight at the Civil Aviation Authority, which is overseeing the trial, said the pilot project would "improve patient outcomes and deliver significant environmental benefits."

A test carried out last month confirmed that drone transportation does not compromise the quality of the blood samples.

The pilot programme will be conducted in partnership with healthcare logistics company Apian and drone delivery firm Wing. Apian is also involved in a National Health Service (NHS) initiative delivering critical medical supplies to hospitals via drones, as well as a separate trial in Dublin.

"Drones can enhance the efficiency and reliability of healthcare logistics, enabling clinicians to focus more on patients, who will receive care faster," said Hammad Jeilani, co-founder of Apian.

This trial could pave the way for broader use of drone delivery across hospitals in London.

Drone technology has been used for years to deliver blood samples to remote areas in Rwanda, with similar trials underway in countries such as Canada and India.