Administrators of the UK’s National Health System in the northwest of England are looking to use drones for regular, speedier supply shuttles between regional hospitals separated by the broad Morecambe Bay, and a system of frequently clogged roads.
The plan arises from a study begun last year to establish corridors for remote piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) in which drone supply shuttles may operate between the local Lancaster Royal Infirmary, Furness General, and Westmorland General Hospitals. Those facilities are located in a triangle around Morecambe Bay, whose estuaries and sand flats spread out over some 120-square miles.
After a first phase of studies during the second half of last year, administrators at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust have now launched a consultation process that – pending UK Civil Aviation Authority authorization – seeks to usher in drone supply shuttles linking the hospitals in June.
“The aim of these…
