University of Strathclyde Pioneers Drone Delivery of NHS Lab Specimens Over Firth of Clyde
Project CAELUS is continuing to break new ground for Scotland with drones flying laboratory samples across the Firth of Clyde for the first time.
Live flying took place between University Hospital Crosshouse in Kilmarnock to the Arran War Memorial on the Isle of Arran over a period of three weeks.
The University of Strathclyde is a partner in Project CAELUS (Care & Equity – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland), which is part funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Flight Challenge.
Drone network
It is working with 16 consortium partners to deliver what will be the first national drone network that can transport essential medicines, bloods and other medical supplies throughout Scotland including to remote communities. AGS Airports led the latest trial in collaboration with consortium partners.
As the lead health board, NHS Grampian has driven the “once for Scotland” approach across the NHS to understand the role this new logistics technology could play in mitigating challenges in access to healthcare in remote and rural areas.
Work continues throughout the project using drones to rapidly transport medical supplies and diagnostic samples between mainland hospitals and remote or rural areas.
The University of Strathclyde’s Principal Investigator for the project, Dr Marco Fossati, said:
A drone network has the potential to ensure critical medical supplies can be delivered more efficiently, and reduce waiting times for test results.
Fiona Smith, Project Director for CAELUS, said: “Project CAELUS continues to work hard and be at the cutting edge of innovation.
“Our goal is to build a national drone network that can transport essential medicines, blood, and other medical supplies efficiently, particularly for Scotland’s rural and island communities.
“This technology could provide quicker diagnostic results and treatment decisions, ultimately improving patient care across the country.”
Critical materials
This innovation can reduce delivery times for critical healthcare materials from several hours to just 30 minutes.
The trial aims to address logistical challenges faced by remote communities such as those on the Isle of Arran, where diagnostic samples must currently be transported by road and ferry to mainland hospitals, a process that can take up to five hours. Using drone can shorten this to 30-minutes.
During the trial, use-cases, designed by NHS Scotland were tested, including simulating blood products being transferred by drone to a patient in urgent need of a medical attention.
Karen Bell, National NHS Programme Lead for CAELUS said: “NHS Grampian is pleased to be working with NHS Ayrshire and Arran and the West of Scotland Innovation Hub to further understand the benefits this technology could bring to healthcare delivery in island Communities.”
In the latest live flight trials, tests were also carried out on how NHS staff in future would engage with the drone both physically and digitally.