Healthcare logistics program aims to speed testing, reduce costs, and support care for 1.8 million patients
South West London Pathology (SWLP) is expanding its use of drone deliveries after a successful pilot that has already transported thousands of pathology samples between healthcare facilities. The program, developed with healthcare logistics company Apian and drone operator Wing, is now positioned as a core part of the organization’s logistics strategy and could eventually serve hospitals and primary care sites across southwest London.
Since February, drones have carried pathology samples from the Nelson Health Centre in Raynes Park to the SWLP laboratory at St George’s Hospital in Tooting. The flight takes just over three minutes, providing a faster alternative to road transport through London’s busy streets.
SWLP serves approximately 1.8 million people and processes about 51 million samples each year for NHS trusts and GP services across southwest London. The organization plans to extend drone operations to additional hospitals, including St Helier, Croydon, and Kingston, along with more primary care facilities.
Faster Deliveries Support Patient Care
Healthcare providers continue to explore drone delivery for time-sensitive medical logistics. Pathology samples, blood products, and medical supplies often travel between hospitals and laboratories under strict time requirements. Air transport can reduce delays caused by traffic while improving consistency for urgent deliveries.
According to SWLP, more than 2,000 patients have already benefited from the service. Drone deliveries have been up to 85% faster than ground transportation on the current routes. Faster sample delivery allows clinicians to receive test results sooner and make treatment decisions more quickly.
Simon Brewer, Managing Director of SWLP said: “We are investing heavily in automation and digitisation, introducing other cutting-edge technologies to improve diagnostic precision and speed across the network. But the impact of this investment will be restricted if samples are still getting stuck on roads. Drones help us move samples faster, cheaper and greener, and are now a core consideration of our logistics plans.”
Cost and Sustainability Drive Expansion
The pilot has also shown potential financial and environmental benefits. SWLP reports that drones are already up to 23% less expensive than existing urgent courier services on some routes. Officials expect those costs to fall further as the network grows.
The NHS has also made reducing emissions a priority. According to the release, electric drones produce 98% less carbon dioxide per delivery than delivery vans. That reduction could help lower the environmental impact of healthcare logistics while reducing road congestion.
The expansion also marks a milestone for primary care. The Nelson Health Centre, which serves about 27,000 patients, is the first NHS primary care facility to use routine drone pickup for pathology samples.
Andy Christodoulou, Senior Portfolio Manager at Community Health Partnerships, which manages the site, said: “a fantastic innovation that is helping the NHS to provide a smooth and effective operation as we expand our services for the community. The drones are reliable and unintrusive, and the NHS staff and patients are always thrilled to see them. The initiative demonstrates how modern, fit for purpose NHS LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) infrastructure can enable forward thinking innovation.”
Building a Larger Healthcare Drone Network
Apian says the program reflects a broader shift from pilot projects to routine operations. The company, founded by NHS doctors, is working with Wing to build a connected healthcare logistics network across the United Kingdom.
Dr Sabena Mughal, an NHS paediatric consultant and Director of Healthcare Partnerships at Apian, said: “Drone delivery is no longer a novelty; it has become an essential part of healthcare logistics. Having delivered thousands of samples across London, we have helped clinicians make time-critical decisions for heart attack patients and accelerated critical diagnoses for paediatric patients. These services improve clinical outcomes whilst reducing both costs and carbon emissions. With these benefits firmly established, our focus is now on expanding the network nationwide.”
Wing, an Alphabet company that has completed more than one million commercial deliveries worldwide, provides the drone platform for the service. The company has recently expanded retail delivery operations in the United States through partnerships with Walmart and DoorDash while continuing to grow its healthcare work in the UK.
Heather Rivera, Wing’s Chief Business Officer, said: “We are thrilled with the success of Wing’s collaboration with Apian and the NHS in southwest London, where our dependable, lightweight drone technology is providing clear benefits to the local community.”
Kate Slemeck, managing director for St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: “Harnessing drone technology is helping clinicians to provide more timely and effective care for patients by allowing us to deliver rapid, reliable testing on urgent samples by cutting delivery time from around 20 minutes to just over three.
“What once may have seemed like something from a sci-fi film is now very much a reality across our hospital sites, as drones help us to deliver faster and greener care, cutting emissions while continuing to prioritise patient safety.”
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