Over the next couple of months a pilot will take place for the use of drones to transport samples at Broomfield Hospital.
The drone has a wingspan of three-metres and will be tested at a purpose built landing pad on the hospital site in Chelmsford. Although it has a large wing-span, the drone takes off vertically like a helicopter. It’s silent in flight and can reach heights of 300 feet.
The pilot is expected to start this month, in a six-month trial backed by the UK Space Agency. If phase one of the test flights are successful, it’s hoped the drone will then fly non-medical items, such as PPE, COVID-19 samples and blood tests.
Charlotte Williams, Director of Strategy for the Trust, said: “We are really excited to be involved in this project and see how the use of drones could help deliver real benefits to both patients and staff, with a reliable time-saving service.”
The project is in collaboration with start-up Apain, founded by Hammad Jeilani and Christopher Law, members of the Trust’s Innovation Fellowship. The pair are also trainee doctors at Barts Health.
Christopher from Apian said: “COVID-19 has highlighted challenges in NHS supply chain logistics. There has never been a better time to create a faster, more dependable and environmentally friendly method of transporting medical supplies.”
“We are confident that by setting up a medical drone delivery service, we’ll be able to fly samples to labs more regularly, reliably and quickly, helping improve patient health outcomes.”
The drone will be operated by a pilot from Flyby Technology, with all ‘pilots’ being ex-military fast jet or helicopter instructors.
