NHS cancer patients will be among the first in the world to receive chemotherapy treatment by drone delivery.
The uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), part of a new NHS trial, are due to take off in the coming weeks to support the same-day delivery of several treatments.
The trial, beginning on the Isle of Wight, will see chemo flown directly from the pharmacy at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust to St Mary’s Hospital, where staff will collect it for distribution to staff and patients.
Certain doses of chemo have a short shelf life, so the NHS has teamed up with medical drone startup Apian to try and deliver treatments as quickly as possible.
The drones will reportedly cut delivery time from four hours to 30 minutes, and will substitute at least two car journeys and one hovercraft or ferry journey per trip.
The NHS claims that this will not only lower fuel costs, but will make the treatment process more efficient for patients who might otherwise have to travel to the mainland.
The drone deliveries should also have a positive environmental impact by helping improve local air quality and supporting the NHS to become the world’s first carbon neutral healthcare system.
The NHS hopes to replicate the Isle of Wight trials in Northumbria.
Sajid David, health and social care secretary, said: “I want England to become a world leader in cancer care and using the latest technology to deliver chemo by drone means patients will have quicker, fairer access to treatment no matter where they live.
“Our upcoming 10-Year Cancer Plan will set out a vision for how we will speed up diagnosis, roll-out innovative new treatments and revolutionise cancer services across the country.”
The NHS has committed to the use of next-generation technologies to support patient care and treatment across the country. For example, this year patients with Parkinson’s disease were given smartwatches to help doctors remotely assess their condition.
The drone trial is a joint effort between Isle of Wight NHS Trust, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Solent Transport, University of Southampton, King’s College London, Skylift, Modini, the Ministry of Defence, UKRI and Apian.
