NHS partners with Alphabet’s Wing and Apian to deliver blood samples via drones

The National Health Service (The UK’s NHS has launched a medical drone delivery service to transport blood samples through the air on demand, in partnership with healthcare logistics company Apian and Alphabet’s drone delivery company Wing.

The initial service will run for six months and will be operated by Guy’s Hospital and the laboratory at St Thomas’ Hospital. It will enable healthcare providers to perform analyses more quickly and make more timely decisions about a patient’s readiness for surgery or discharge.

The partnership already delivers medical supplies in Dublin and builds on Apian’s previous trials in the UK and Wing’s global work in healthcare, including drone delivery of over-the-counter medications, COVID-19 tests, and household medical supplies.

Dr. Hammad Jeilani, co-founder of Apian, said MobiHealthNews that flying in a city like London requires strict adherence to the rules of the British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The operations take place within a special airspace structure, called a Temporary Reserved Area (TRA), and avoid sensitive areas or no-fly zones, which are authorised by the CAA to enable safe operations in London’s airspace.

“We are working closely with the CAA to ensure all legal requirements are met and we thank them for their continued cooperation and due diligence,” Jeilani said.

He pointed out that vans and motorbikes are currently being deployed to deliver blood samples.

“The switch to drone delivery will have significant environmental benefits through reduced carbon emissions and reduced traffic congestion,” he said.

He added that light commercial drones like Wing’s, which run on electric power, can reduce CO2e emissions by up to 99% compared to non-electric cars and require less electricity for transportation compared to electric delivery vans.

In addition to flight-related aspects, Apian ensures that the strict controls often required for medical products (such as temperature control and secure chain of custody) are adhered to by complying with relevant healthcare and aviation regulations.

These rules are intended to maintain the integrity of blood samples during transport and ensure safe delivery.

“This includes the implementation of temperature management systems, tracking mechanisms and system integrations,” Jeilani said.

He added that the company would ensure that these controls were met through a validation process, a temperature management system, tracking mechanisms and system integrations.

THE BIGGER TREND

Wing is a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet.

Other companies active in the healthcare drone delivery space include: Amazon Pharmacy last year announced the launch of free 60-minute drone delivery of prescription medications for eligible customers in College Station, Texas.

Earlier this year, a direct logistics and delivery company opened Zipline has announced that its urban drone delivery system, Platform 2, will be used by Mayo Clinic locations in Jacksonville, Florida, and Rochester, Minnesota, to deliver supplies to patients in the medical center’s hospital-to-home program.