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, in partnership with Alphabet's Wing and Apian, is launching a six-month drone delivery trial in London to transport urgent blood samples between Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals.
This initiative aims to drastically cut transport times from over 30 minutes by ground to under two minutes by drone, enhancing patient care through faster diagnostic analysis and improving sustainability.
Approved by the UK Civil Aviation Authority and deemed safe for blood transport, this trial aligns with the UK government's broader strategy to integrate drone technology into healthcare and other services by 2027.

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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.