Google’s Wing to Use Drones to Fly Blood Between London Hospitals

The drone delivery provider is working with medical logistics firm Apian and the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) to launch a six-month trial.

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 01:06 PM ET

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Wing delivery drones will transport blood samples between two hospitals in central London within two minutes or less. [Courtesy: Wing]

Key Takeaways:

The UK's NHS is launching a six-month drone delivery trial in central London to transport urgent blood samples between Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals.
Partnering with Wing (Alphabet) and Apian, the trial aims to reduce delivery times from over 30 minutes to under two minutes, enhancing patient care and promoting sustainability.
The fully electric drones will carry blood samples for patients awaiting surgery, allowing for quicker analysis to determine procedure safety.
This initiative is part of a wider UK government strategy to integrate drone deliveries into routine operations by 2027, with significant investment in various drone projects.

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The U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) is backing a historic drone delivery trial to transport urgent blood samples in the heart of London.

On Monday, the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTFT) announced a partnership with Wing, the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet, and Apian, the developer of an application programming interface (API) for medical logistics founded by former NHS doctors, to move blood between two hospitals in less than two minutes. The U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has approved an airspace corridor between the hospitals and will regulate the trial.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.