Milton Keynes University Hospital tests drones for medical supplies transport

The drones flew between the Saxon Clinic (A) and the pathology department (B) across the main hospital site

Trials have taken place of the use of drones to transport medical supplies across a hospital site.

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Trust said the project saw test blood samples transferred autonomously from dedicated drone stations.

These were sited above its pathology unit and at the Saxon Clinic.

The aim was to understand the "feasibility of fast, safe and reliable short-range medical transportation by drone", the trust said.

The hospital said it was working with manufacturing experts Intelsius and drone specialists Herotech8 on the project by InMed - a consortium that aims to showcase the advantages of using drone technology to support healthcare services.

It said the project involved colleagues from across a range of specialities both at the hospital trust and externally.

The pilot was set up on Thursday with flights taking place hourly on Friday between 10:00 and 15:00 BST.

"The demonstration flights are intended to gather as much data and user feedback as possible for a real-world use case," the trust said.

It added that all partner organisations, staff, patients and visitors were made aware there were drones in operation across the site.

A Trust spokesman said: "We will continue to be supporting the project to undertake further testing and development to identify how this can facilitate an improved service for our patients."