For the first time in London, electric drones will soon transport urgently needed blood samples between Guy's Hospital and St. Thoma's Hospital in the city centre.
The upcoming flights are part of a joint pilot project between the NHS, healthcare logistics startup Apian and drone manufacturer Wing, a subsidiary of Alphabet. spun off from the company's Moonshot Factory X.
The goal is to improve patient care through faster delivery times. Currently, blood samples are transported by van or motorbike, and the journey can take more than half an hour. Drones can reduce the time to less than two minutes.
Time is of the essence when donating blood, especially when patients are undergoing surgery at high risk of complications due to bleeding disorders. For this reason, drone deliveries in the study will be targeted at this specific group.
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“The drone pilot combines two of our key priorities – providing the best possible patient care and improving sustainability,” said Ian Abbs, chief executive of the hospitals’ NHS Foundation Trust.
The use of lightweight commercial drones has the potential to reduce emissions by up to 99% compared to non-electric road transport.
The six-month pilot project is scheduled to start this fall.
Building the NHS drone delivery network
Apian was founded in London in 2020 by two NHS doctors and a Google alumnus. The startup aims to build an on-demand medical drone delivery network for the NHS and other facilities.
The company has developed a logistics API that connects healthcare providers with drone operators. The platform simplifies the process by processing healthcare orders, selecting drone carriers, and providing scheduling, route planning, and live tracking.
Apian and Wing have previously collaborated on medical drone deliveries in Ireland. Apian has also conducted several pilot projects in rural areas of the UK, including the country's first beyond-line-of-sight drone blood deliveries.
“This new service is a great example of how the innovation and vision of a London startup has attracted much-needed investment from around the world to address key health issues facing our city today,” said Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth.
According to Apian co-founder Hammad Jeilani, drones have the potential to improve both the “responsiveness and resilience” of healthcare logistics.
In 2022, Apian raised a £5 million seed capital from several venture capitalists, including KHP Ventures, the first Venture capital fund founded and supported by the NHS.
Published on September 16, 2024 – 23:01 UTC
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