Drones could be used for NHS deliveries under new UK regulations

Drones could be deployed for NHS deliveries under new UK regulations planned for 2026, which would allow flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) limit.

This would unlock long-distance missions across hard-to-reach areas, allowing drones to be used for NHS-related missions in remote areas.

Under current regulations, drones cannot be flown beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), making their use for long-distance journeys impossible, but government plans to simplify regulations could allow them to fly long distances without their operators seeing them.

This would make it quicker and easier for industry to prove the safety of the technologies and deliver the necessary digital infrastructure to ensure their safety.

Lord Vallance, science minister, told Digital Health News: “Cutting unnecessary red tape will help unlock the use of drones in the NHS – from faster blood deliveries in city centres to improving access to vital supplies in remote areas – ultimately improving care and outcomes for patients.

“The work of the Regulatory Innovation Office is a key part of the government’s Plan for Change – helping to support innovation through smarter regulation, helping to build an NHS fit for the future.”

The government is investing £16.5 million in the Civil Aviation Authority to build a regulatory framework for BVLOS drone operations and a further £5m to the Future of Flight industry group to support business, including the development of commercial drone solutions.

A press release, published by the Department of Transport on 1 April 2025, said the funding is “designed to advance aviation tech to support healthcare for the NHS, assist police forces in combatting crime, help inspect and survey critical infrastructure and unlock delivery services for businesses and communities across the country”.

Lord Willetts, chair of the Regulatory Innovation Office, told The Guardian that the changes could come in 2026, but that they would apply in “atypical” aviation environments at first, which would mean remote areas and over open water.

Urgent blood samples are already being transported by electric drones at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, in a medical delivery service which aims to improve patient care by speeding up testing and turnaround times.

The six-month trial, which began in October 2024 and is expected to run until spring 2025, involves the delivery of blood samples for patients undergoing surgery who are at high risk of complications from bleeding disorders.

Moving samples between Synnovis’ lab at Guy’s Hospital and the lab at St Thomas’ hospital can take more than 30 minutes by road but takes less than two minutes by drone, enabling faster analysis and helping to efficiently determine whether patients are safe to undergo surgery or be discharged.

The pilot, announced in September 2024, was organised in partnership with healthcare logistics company Apian and Wing, a global drone delivery company that is part of Google’s parent company, Alphabet.