Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust will launch the new service by the autumn of 2024.
Global instant logistics leader, Zipline is partnering with UK drone delivery startup, Apian Aero to launch a drone delivery programme of critical medical supplies for the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
The new service, expected to begin in the autumn of 2024, will see delivery of medical supplies to hospitals, GPs and care homes, using electric, autonomous drones.
Zipline announced the partnership on Sunday, and said drone delivery service will help provide timely access to prescription medicines, wound care products, joint replacement implants, and other frequently ordered medical products, which could allow healthcare providers to reduce the number of cancelled procedures, and thus decrease wait times.
Also, the expansion of the programme will help in creating local job opportunities in the region, it added.
James Mackey, CEO of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “This expansion with Zipline and Apian is an exciting next step as we strive to improve services for the hundreds of thousands of patients we serve. We believe this innovative technology could be used to improve healthcare outcomes, save money and eliminate supply chain complexities, and we're keen to get started."
The aim is to serve more than 30 GP, care and health facilities across the region, including Hexham General Hospital, Wansbeck General Hospital, Haltwhistle War Memorial Hospital, with plans to expand the operations over time.
Dr. Christopher Law, Medical Director and Co-Founder of Apian, commented: “I’ve seen first-hand the impact that running out of supplies can have on patient health outcomes.
“Healthcare should benefit from on-demand delivery, much like consumers now do in their personal lives. Delivering critical products with drones, where and when they’re most needed, will improve supply chain efficiency and give doctors, nurses and clinicians more time to focus on the most important thing — their patients.”
Apian has built a platform that integrates both healthcare and aviation, creating a fully automated, on-demand delivery system, which allows the NHS to easily place orders and Zipline to seamlessly fulfill them.
Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, CEO and Co-Founder of Zipline, said: “Today 3,000-pound gas vehicles driven by humans are used to deliver three-pound packages billions of times per year. It’s expensive, slow and bad for the environment.
“This decision means that the NHS can start to transition delivery to solutions that are ten times as fast, less expensive, and zero emission. 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."
Apian and Northumbria Healthcare completed a successful Stage 1 of drone trials between February and May 2023.
Zipline will build a hub for its operations near the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington, Northumberland.
