London hospitals trial drones for delivering blood samples, paving way for faster transport

Drones set to deliver blood samples across London, cutting travel time from over 30 minutes to under two.

London's Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is launching a pilot project to transport urgent blood samples via drones.

The six-month initiative aims to reduce sample transport time between hospitals from over 30 minutes to less than two minutes.

Currently, samples travel by van or motorbike couriers, facing significant delays due to London’s traffic.

This new system, regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority, will allow blood samples from patients undergoing surgery to be transferred much faster, especially for those at high risk of complications from bleeding disorders.

Prof Ian Abbs, chief executive at Guy's and St Thomas', expressed his enthusiasm for the project, highlighting how it aligns with the Trust's priorities of improving patient care and reducing environmental impact.

“We are proud to be the first trust in London to trial this innovative approach,” he said.

The pilot, developed in collaboration with healthcare logistics firm Apian and drone delivery company Wing, is part of a broader effort to incorporate drone technology into healthcare logistics.

Recent research suggests that drones can safely transport blood stocks without impacting the viability of the samples.

According to a 2016 study published in Transfusion, a team led by Timothy Amukele at Johns Hopkins Hospital tested the transportation of blood products by drones.

Their findings showed no adverse effects on red blood cells, platelets, or plasma during flight, even under varying temperatures​.

This research validates the use of drones in healthcare logistics, as it demonstrated that blood products can be safely transported without hemolysis, temperature fluctuations, or other damage during flight.

NHS Blood and Transplant also conducted a trial earlier this year, flying red blood cell components between hospitals in Northumbria.

Tests confirmed that the quality of blood transported by drones remained intact, with no significant difference compared to samples transported by road.

These findings further support the viability of drone deliveries for medical use in the UK.

This pioneering trial in London could pave the way for more widespread use of drones in delivering critical medical supplies across the NHS, speeding up analysis and ensuring timely patient care.

In 2016, Rwanda’s government signed a contract with Zipline, a San Francisco-based drone startup, to streamline blood deliveries.

Zipline’s autonomous drones would fly the blood from a distribution hub to the health care facility.

The blood, contained within an IV bag, would parachute down in an insulated cardboard box, and the drone would zip back.

Today, Zipline has two hubs in Rwanda; each can make up to 500 deliveries per day.”

This highlights the efficiency of drone systems in handling a high volume of deliveries, ensuring that urgent medical supplies like blood are transported quickly and effectively.

In the April issue of Lancet Global Health, Nisingizwe analysed nearly 13,000 drone orders between 2017 and 2019 and found that half of the orders took 41 minutes or less to deliver by drone.

On the road, that median time would be at least two hours. Reports of wasted blood donations dropped.

This proves that drones significantly reduce delivery time and decrease wastage, making them a viable solution for urgent medical logistics, especially in challenging terrains or during emergencies.

Drones have been hailed as a revolutionary tool for improving India's healthcare accessibility, particularly in remote regions.

With drone regulations liberalised last year, operators have begun conducting successful trials for delivering medical supplies, pathology samples, and blood units.

In one such trial, a drone carrying blood samples flew from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to Noida, near Delhi, covering 72km in just over an hour.

By road, this journey would have taken more than two hours.

Companies like Skye Air Mobility, which ran the trial, report that drone deliveries have reduced transport times by nearly 48%.

Skye Air Mobility has conducted over 1,000 flights, delivering more than 3,500kg of mixed payloads, including medical supplies and e-commerce products.

The company has also partnered with SRL Diagnostics to transport blood samples using temperature-controlled carriers.

This process, according to SRL's CEO, Anand K, has improved lab efficiency by speeding up sample processing and delivery of critical results.

While trials are promising, experts like Rutuja Patil from the KEM Hospital Research Centre stress that scaling up the technology is essential to making it cost-effective for widespread use in healthcare.