Drones are set to transport coronavirus testing kits and PPE to a Scottish island in a trial set to reduce delivery times from six hours to just 15 minutes.
The scheme, the first of its kind in the UK, will see supplies flown 19 kilometres between Lorn & Islands Hospital in Oban and Mull & Iona Community Hospital in Craignure on the Isle of Mull.
London-based Skyports will initially operate four or five flights a day for two weeks, with each carrying up to 6 kilograms of supplies in one trip.
If successful, it has the potential to pave the way for more legal drone deliveries in the UK and worldwide.
Skyports chief executive Duncan Walker told The Times newspaper, “This is the first time this has been done in the UK and what determines success is predominantly how useful it is to the NHS [National Health Service].
“There has been a really big acceleration because of COVID-19 and the need to get this up and running quicker.
“Drones can help anywhere where there is challenging terrain to navigate so the west coast of Scotland is a perfect business case.
“We’re not going to have 1,000 drones flying over cities; we adapt our routes so that we don’t fly over any houses and cause any concern.”
Joanna Macdonald, chief officer of the Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership, said, “The use of drones provides real opportunities to improve services and will help enable quicker diagnosis for our patients. We are excited to be working with Skyports in the design of this new service.”
