A breakthrough project has taken place to ship laboratory samples from Ayrshire to the Isle of Arran.
Live flying took place between University Hospital Crosshouse in Kilmarnock to the Arran War Memorial on the Isle of Arran.
Behind the scheme is Project CAELUS, who say they have broken new ground for Scotland with their drones flying samples across the Firth of Clyde for the first time.
In association with AGS Airports, the stakeholders led the three-week trial – in collaboration with 15 other consortium partners.
Now the next step is to understand the role this new logistics technology could play in mitigating challenges in access to healthcare in remote and rural areas.
Fiona Smith, Project Director for CAELUS, said: “This technology could provide quicker diagnostic results and treatment decisions, ultimately improving patient care across the country.”
This innovation can reduce delivery times for critical healthcare materials from several hours to just 30 minutes.
The trial aims to address logistical challenges faced by remote communities such as those on the Isle of Arran, where diagnostic samples must currently be transported by road and ferry to mainland hospitals, a process that can take up to five hours. Using drone can shorten this to 30 minutes.
Consultant Clinical Scientist Janet Hogg, from the department of biochemistry in NHS Ayrshire & Arran, added: “Exploring how drone technology could be usefully used as a way of delivering care to people who live in urban, remote, rural and island locations, is edging ever-closer to a reality.
“Here in Ayrshire & Arran we are well positioned to participate in this drone trial because of our vast geographical area of island and remote populations. This work has the potential to greatly enhance patient experience.”
Project CALEUS is working with 16 consortium partners to deliver what will be the first national drone network that can transport essential medicines, bloods and other medical supplies throughout Scotland including to remote communities.
Richard Ellis, NATS Services New Airspace Users Director, said: “Project CAELUS continues to push the boundaries for drone operations in the UK and we are very proud to be playing our part. These latest flights have given us a chance to further validate our Master Control Room prototype, with the team receiving live flight telemetry for the first time. That’s another step towards achieving an integrated airspace for the UK, where potentially life changing applications like this can be the norm not the exception.”