Drones will be rolled out to make deliveries to hospitals across northern England next year in a move it hopes will cut waiting times.
Deliveries of medical and surgical supplies will be available to some 30 Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust sites from next autumn under the plan.
“We believe this innovative technology could be used to improve healthcare outcomes, save money and eliminate supply chain complexities,” chief executive James Mackey said.
UK-based healthcare logistics firm Apian has partnered with autonomous delivery company Zipline to roll out the service to Northumbrian hospitals and clinics, with a trial of the drones having taken place earlier this year.
Deliveries of prescriptions, wound care, and other “frequently needed medical products” will be made using Ziplines electric drones, which have a range of 130 miles.
Such packages will be parachuted down to outdoor hospital areas, with the trust saying the use of drones will reduce “reliance on expensive last-minute logistics to move products between facilities when needed”.
“This decision means that the NHS can start to transition delivery to solutions that are ten times as fast, less expensive, and zero emission,” Zipline boss Keller Rinaudo Cliffton said.
“This service will be delivered at a fraction of the cost of the existing solution, and will help drive financial savings to the NHS in the longer term.”