News
NHS delivery drones take flight offering faster and greener patient care
13 November 2024
Medical drone delivery service for Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with Apian and Wing, now up and running following successful first flights
First ever on-demand drone deliveries are speeding up blood testing turnaround times, ensuring vulnerable or high-risk patients are safe to undergo surgery sooner
Six-month trial could become blueprint for drone delivery of other medical items across wider NHS
Urgent blood samples are now being transported by electric drones in a medical delivery service which aims to improve patient care by speeding up testing turnaround times.
The service involves delivering blood samples for patients undergoing surgery who are at high risk of complications from bleeding disorders. Moving samples between Synnovis’ lab at Guy’s Hospital and the lab at St Thomas’ Hospital can take more than half an hour by road but takes less than two minutes by drone. This enables quicker analysis, helping to efficiently determine whether patients are safe to undergo surgery or be discharged.
Blood samples are currently delivered by van and motorbike couriers. Alongside the efficiency advantages, switching to drone deliveries will have significant environmental benefits by removing carbon emissions and reducing traffic congestion. Lightweight commercial drones can reduce CO2e emissions by up to 99% compared to non-electric cars and reduce transportation electricity needed compared to electric delivery vans.
The six-month operation is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority, which has granted the airspace approval, and NATS, the air traffic management service, is ensuring the service operates safely alongside crewed aircraft. It has been organised as a partnership between Guy’s and St Thomas’; Apian, a healthcare logistics company founded by NHS doctors; and Wing, a global drone delivery company that is part of Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
This is a landmark first for the NHS in London. Apian and Wing have previously partnered on medical drone delivery in Dublin, Ireland, and Apian has trialled medical drone deliveries in rural areas of the UK. The six-month trial could serve as the foundation of a healthcare drone distribution network for the NHS across London.
Mike Kane MP, Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security, said: “This is exactly the kind of transport innovation that could make a massive difference to society. Not only will these drone services make testing times faster and help to save lives, they will also reduce emissions and congestion, helping to clean up the air we breathe.”
Lawrence Tallon, Deputy Chief Executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “This drone trial to deliver blood samples should speed up test results for some of our most vulnerable patients, ensuring they have the very best care. It combines innovations in healthcare with sustainability to give us an NHS fit for the future.”
Alexander Trewby, CEO and Co-Founder of Apian, commented: "Cities like London face a unique challenge: built vertically but relying on 2D roads, they’re choked by polluting congestion. Apian’s ambition is to create an autonomous delivery network operating at NHS scale, moving physical items as productively as the internet moves information. Kudos to Guy’s and St Thomas’ and the Civil Aviation Authority for leading the way. If we can pioneer drone delivery here, we can do it anywhere!"
Courtney Johnk, Global Partnerships and Healthcare at Wing, said: “We’re pleased to be fully operational in central London, delivering patient blood samples by Wing drones on-demand on weekdays. The efficiencies gained for patient care by transporting multiple samples by air as needed, rather than through ground traffic, are already becoming clear. It’s exciting to see drone delivery is now integrated as a regular part of healthcare logistics at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.”
Professor Dominic Harrington, Chief Scientific Officer, Synnovis, said: "Tens of thousands of essential patient samples are analysed by pathology laboratories across London each week. Reducing the time it takes to transport these samples means results are available more quickly to inform best possible patient care. We’re excited to be working with Apian on this pioneering project and look forward to seeing where this can go next.”
Martin Rolfe, NATS CEO, said: “Enabling drones to safely fly in central London, within some of the world’s busiest and most complex airspace, is a major milestone and we are delighted to be supporting Apian and the project team in making it a reality. Working towards greater integration of drones into UK airspace will mean hugely beneficial services like this can become routine rather than the exception.”
NHS blood samples to be delivered by drones in London first
16th September 2024
Medical drone delivery service for Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Apian and Wing
Electric drones offer on-demand, automated transportation of urgent pathology items, such as blood samples
Initial service could pave the way for drone delivery of other medical items for Guy’s and St Thomas’ and other London trusts
Urgent blood samples will be transported by electric drones in a medical delivery service which aims to improve patient care by speeding up turnaround times.
Moving samples between Guy’s Hospital and the lab at St Thomas’ Hospital can take more than half an hour by road but takes less than two minutes by drone. This enables quicker analysis, helping to efficiently determine whether patients are safe to undergo surgery or be discharged. The trial will deliver blood samples for patients undergoing surgery who are at high risk of complications from bleeding disorders.
Blood samples are currently delivered by van and motorbike couriers. Switching to drone deliveries will have significant environmental benefits by removing carbon emissions and reducing traffic congestion. Lightweight commercial drones can reduce CO2e emissions by up to 99% compared to non-electric cars, and reduce transportation electricity needed compared to electric delivery vans.
This six-month operation is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority, which has granted the airspace approval. It has been organised as a partnership between Guy’s and St Thomas’; Apian, a healthcare logistics company founded by NHS doctors; and Wing, a global drone delivery company that is part of Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
This is a landmark first for the NHS in London. Apian and Wing have previously partnered on medical drone delivery in Dublin, Ireland, and Apian has trialled medical drone deliveries in rural areas of the UK. The pilot is expected to start in autumn 2024.
Professor Ian Abbs, Chief Executive at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The drone pilot combines two of our key priorities - providing the best possible patient care and improving sustainability. We are proud to be the first Trust in London to trial this innovative approach to help speed up blood sample analysis for our most urgent cases.”
Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth, Howard Dawber, said: “This new service is a great example of how the innovation and vision of a London startup has brought much-needed investment from across the globe to tackle important health issues facing our city today - showing how London is leading the way in improving healthcare as we build a fairer London for all.”
Sophie O’Sullivan, Director of Future of Flight, UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Innovative trials like this from Guy’s and St Thomas’, Apian and Wing help demonstrate the many positive and safe ways that drones can be used for society - in this case, to improve patient outcomes and deliver significant environmental benefits. This is one of the many reasons that we are working with companies through our sandbox trials programme, to enable the test and development of pioneering new aviation technology in the UK.”
Dr Hammad Jeilani, Co-Founder of Apian, said: “Drones can increase the responsiveness and resilience of healthcare logistics, allowing clinicians to be more productive and patients to get the care they need sooner. An NHS drone delivery network in London, starting with this innovative trial, will provide on-demand, automated and sustainable deliveries, helping the NHS create more efficient models of working and our doctors and nurses to deliver the highest quality care for patients.”
Wing drones to deliver medical supplies to Dublin hospitals
2nd July 2024
Wing and Apian have partnered with Blackrock Health and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital in Dublin along with leading healthcare technology company, Medtronic to launch an innovative drone delivery trial demonstrating the benefits drones could offer in healthcare logistics.
Over the next few months, Wing and Apian will deploy drone delivery to carry medical supplies and devices to hospitals. The delivery service will commence with items including Medtronic’s ingestible camera, PillCam™, sutures, surgical tools and heart valve repair products, with plans to expand to pacemakers and Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICDs) in the future. The first deliveries will be received in Dublin’s Blackrock Health, Blackrock Clinic and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital in the coming days.
This delivery of Medtronic medical supplies to Blackrock Clinic, part of Blackrock Health Group, and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital, part of St Vincent’s Healthcare Group, will be Ireland’s first ongoing medical device delivery service by drone.
“The use of drones in medical logistics presents an exciting opportunity to get our life-saving technologies to the people who need them quicker than ever before,” said Kristian Howells, Group Commercial Director at Medtronic. “Traditional supply chains have limitations that the inclusion of drones may help to overcome. What we learn from this pilot programme will help us to create more resilient supply chains that are patient focused.”
The partnership has been designed to trial faster, more reliable, and sustainable medical logistics - supporting patients as they receive the care they need, sooner. Medical drone deliveries have the potential to create more efficient healthcare systems, with less wastage of medical supplies, and more space for patient-facing care facilities as providers receive what they need, when they need it.
Currently, hospitals depend on road vehicles to transport medical supplies to hospitals or healthcare centres, but urban locations experience frequent delays due to congestion, as well as associated higher carbon emissions. Wing’s drones, which are being used in this programme, are lightweight and electric, and can make quicker, more reliable deliveries than traditional modes of transport, as seen in its more than 350,000 commercial deliveries across the globe. They will fly more direct routes and at speeds up to approximately 100 km per hour, avoiding the traffic congestion on Dublin’s roads.
“At Blackrock Health, innovation is at the core of what we do, and this partnership is a prime example of the opportunities that exist when integrating technology into healthcare industry, with an added benefit of supporting our commitment to sustainability,” shared Dr. Caroline Whelan, CEO of Blackrock Health “We are excited by the possibilities that come with this drone delivery service, and hope to expand this beyond receiving medical supplies, by extending use to other services in time between our hospitals.”
Brian Fitzgerald, CEO, St Vincent’s Private Hospital said; “St Vincent’s Healthcare Group is continuously harnessing advances in science and research to provide innovative treatment and care to our patients. Participating in this trial continues this tradition and allows St Vincent’s Private Hospital to explore how integrating drone technology into our hospital can improve patient care, enhance supply chain management and enable us to operate more efficiently and sustainably”.
The initiative will start with up to 100 weekly flights. The partners have cooperated to implement rigorous safety mechanisms and are working closely with the Irish Aviation Authority to ensure these operations leverage the support and experience of the regulator and adhere to their high operational standards.
“Wing is pleased to support a global leader in healthcare technology and two innovative hospitals to meet their needs for a more efficient delivery service for essential technology. We’re excited to be part of Ireland’s forward-looking healthcare technology market, and to expand our existing portfolio of retail and medical deliveries around the world,” said Nicole Schone, Head of Marketing & Communications at Wing. “We look forward to this trial further demonstrating the clear value that Wing drone delivery has for the healthcare industry and beyond.”
The momentum in drone delivery, and its natural fit to serve healthcare, is clear. As noted by Hammad Jeilani, Founder and Medical Director of Apian: “Apian is delivering the future model for a more innovative and efficient healthcare system and we are very proud to be part of this new partnership.”
So, the Future of Flight Action Plan is Out… Now what?
27th March 2024
Louisa Smith, Chief Aviation Officer
The email notification popped up on my phone: The Future of Flight action plan has landed. Having quickly digested the slides, I wasn’t surprised by the content. It’s ambitious, for sure, but it’s also clearly needed. Excitement filled me, but scrolling through social media, it felt like the positivity surrounding this development was overshadowed by a sense of caution.
Here’s the thing: we’ve been asking for timelines, for concrete dates, and that’s exactly what the Future of Flight action plan delivers. It’s fantastic to finally have these targets in place. The dates might seem conservative to some and aggressive to others, but these dates, to me, are an appropriate mix of ambition and awareness of what it will take to get this working. The benefits — especially for critical services like the NHS — can’t wait another 5–10 years, patients and clinicians need access to the efficiency and speed that drone delivery offers. These dates mean more to me than just numbers on a page, I see this roadmap as ours; the industry, regulator, and government, our dates to own, ours to work together to ensure we hit the timelines.
Now, are there concerns? Absolutely — Safe integration with other airspace users in unsegregated airspace, public acceptance of scaled operations, and certification of technology that updates yearly to name a few. But it’s happening and this will open up a world of potential benefit if we get this right together. They’re not some futuristic pipe dream anymore. Remember those early days, the “what ifs” scribbled on the back of a napkin? We’ve well and truly graduated from that stage. Customers are chomping at the bit, the demand is real, and the pressure on the aviation industry is immense. The question isn’t “if” anymore, it’s “when.”
UK Future of Flight Action Plan
Apian’s image features in the action plan
The Future of Flight action plan might not be perfect, it might not address every single concern, but it’s a step forward. It’s a roadmap, a starting point for a conversation that needs to happen. We can’t let the fear of the unknown paralyse us.
This is our chance to shape the future of flight.
Let’s use this plan as a springboard for a constructive dialogue. Let’s identify the potential challenges, sure, but let’s also work together to find solutions. Let’s leverage the expertise of everyone in the industry, from regulators to pilots to those innovative minds who first dreamt of drone deliveries.
The future of flight is coming, and it’s up to us to make sure it takes off smoothly. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work. The sky, as they say, is no longer the limit.
Soaring High: Celebrating Women in the Drone Industry on International Women's Day
8th March 2024
Louisa Smith, Chief Aviation Officer and Juliet Bauer, Chief Commercial Officer of Apian discuss why IWD is so important for women working in traditionally male dominated industries.
International Women's Day is a time to celebrate the achievements of women across all fields, and the drone industry is no exception. While traditionally dominated by men, an increasing number of women are taking to the skies, piloting drones, and shaping the future of this dynamic technology.
Breaking Barriers, Taking Flight
The drone industry offers a diverse range of exciting opportunities, from aerial photography to search and rescue operations, agricultural applications and on-demand medical delivery. Women are bringing their unique perspectives and skills to these various fields, pushing boundaries and making significant contributions.
Leading the Way
Several inspiring women are leading the charge in the drone industry. We have pioneering entrepreneurs like Gemma Alcock, who founded Skybound Rescuer, supporting the safe deployment of drones in the Emergency Services, and visionary leaders like Eszter Kovacs, who actively foster a platform for the drone community and champion diversity through initiatives like "Women Behind the Drone Revolution". These women are not only excelling in their own careers but also paving the way for others to follow.
Building a More Inclusive Future
Despite the progress made, there's still work to be done to achieve true gender equality in the drone industry. Mentoring programs such as https://altamentoring.com/ which is offering Mentoring for Women by Women in the Aviation and Aerospace Industry are great examples of initiatives which are crucial in encouraging women to develop their careers and provide support. Additionally, fostering inclusive work environments and combating unconscious bias are essential steps towards creating a more diverse and thriving drone industry.
Celebrating the Journey
On International Women's Day, we celebrate the women who are shaping the future of the drone industry. Their dedication, innovation, and resilience are an inspiration to all. As the industry continues to grow, we can look forward to even more women taking the lead, pushing boundaries, and soaring to new heights.
Let's continue to break down barriers and create a space where women can thrive in the drone industry, not just on International Women's Day, but every day.
