A pioneering trial scheme will see medical samples transported between the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and other Morecambe Bay hospitals by drones.
The drone technology trial will run for 20 months and is expected to cut delivery times between the hospitals across Morecambe Bay by more than an hour.
The drones, developed by UK company SkyLift UAV, will operate specific routes across the bay between the RLI, Furness General in Barrow and Westmorland General in Kendal.
They will fly almost silently in their own dedicated air space at 250 feet above ground level.
The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) confirmed on Tuesday that the trial scheme would be happening, after a planning and study process over the past two years.
“The use of UAVs or drones to fly urgent items is no longer the stuff of science fiction," said Tony Crick from the trust.
The NHS in Lancashire and South Cumbria is set to pioneer the use of drone technology to deliver medical samples between hospitals thanks to around £1.4m in UK Research and Innovation funding.
One of only 17 projects selected nationally, the work will see UHMBT and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LHTr) team up with local enterprises Digital & Future Technologies and Miralis Data Limited.
The two-phase trial is part of the government's Future Flight challenge, which uses new classes of electric, hydrogen and autonomous air vehicles to transform the delivery of goods and services in the UK.
Reduced delivery times will optimise the operation of pathology labs, meaning patients and clinicians will have access to results faster, says the trust.
Currently samples travel between the hospitals by van multiple times per day, with the new technology set to reduce the carbon footprint as part of the health service's green agenda.
Tony Crick said “The use of UAVs or drones to fly urgent items is no longer the stuff of science fiction - from drones delivering lifesaving defibrillators to those ‘on scene’ first helping heart attack victims in Sweden, through to delivering urgent medical supplies and equipment in Rwanda and Ghana. They are instead part of the modern range of equipment available to UHMBT and LHTr to operate in a more efficient and effective way."
Phil Woodford, Director of Corporate Affairs at UHMBT, said: “We live and work in one of the most beautiful parts of the country and we have a responsibility to do so in as safe and sustainable way as possible. It typically takes anything from 60-90 minutes to drive a van between the RLI and FGH whilst spewing out pollutants that damage the atmosphere and our health.
"Travel time door to door with the drone will be achieved in around 15-20 minutes - slashing the normal time by up to 70 per cent. It also has the potential to aid clinical decision making with the removal of unnecessary transport delays.”
Professor Anthony Rowbottom MBE, Clinical Director for Pathology at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, added: “This important project will revolutionise deliveries across a specific part of Lancashire and South Cumbria and provide valuable insight into how this can be expanded across a larger pathology partnership network.
“Not only will this expedite the transfer of patient samples but if successful could provide scope for branching into other NHS services and, in the not too distant future, should be seen as standard practice. In the long-term, with the right ambition and direction, why not aspire towards potentially extending drone use to home delivery for patients.”
Gary Cutts, Future Flight Challenge Director, said: “Over the past few years we’ve seen rapid developments in all aspects of the aviation system. From cutting the length of time someone waits for medicine to arrive, to supplying greener ways to travel, these 17 projects will deliver real benefits to people across the UK.”
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