NHS considers blood kits delivery by drone

Transport planners are bidding for the first UK trials using drones to carry blood samples and chemo kits between hospitals, GP surgeries and hospital labs.

Solent Transport - a partnership covering four councils across the south coast - has drawn up the bid for a pilot scheme involving the NHS, with medical professionals claiming that the technology could mean more accurate results, in often time-sensitive situations.

Covering Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and Isle of Wight, the transport planners say drones could be used to  transport packages between hospitals  in Portsmouth and Southampton and St Mary’s Hospital on the Isle of Wight, as well as from GP surgeries to hospital labs.

The bid says these would be the first UK trials of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights using beyond-visual-line-of-sight operation, but the suggestion has been criticised, with the scheme - yet to apply for ethical approval - questioned over safety and privacy.

A recent study examining the potential for drones in Southampton found that traffic congestion and long journey times are causing NHS ineffiencies and needless costs. NHS services in other parts of the country - such as Dorset - have also shown interest in use of drones.

Rick Allen, operations manager for Southampton General Hospital’s laboratories, said: “As soon as blood is taken from a patient’s vein, the blood is ticking. We have four hours to get it from the vein to us and then we’ve got a couple of hours to process that sample. If we can be assured of getting samples to us quicker, then we can be that much more assured that the results are accurate and the correct result for that patient.”