Project CAELUS (Care & Equity – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland)

Delivering the first national drone network transporting essential medicines, bloods and other medical supplies throughout Scotland including to remote communities.

Background

As members of ‘Once for Scotland’ Project CAELUS team, HISES colleagues are developing and trialling what will be the UK’s first national distribution network to use drones to transport essential medicines, blood, organs, and other medical supplies throughout Scotland including to remote communities.

It is the second successful round of funding for the CAELUS consortium which brings together 16 partners including the University of Strathclyde, NATS and NHS Scotland.

Since securing £1.5 million in January 2020, the CAELUS consortium has designed drone landing stations for NHS sites across Scotland and developed a virtual model (digital twin) of the proposed delivery network which connects hospitals, pathology laboratories, distribution centres and GP surgeries across Scotland.

Challenge Objectives

NHS Scotland has said it will bring its “Once for Scotland” approach to the project, the second phase of which will involve live flight trials and removing remaining barriers to safely using drones at scale within Scotland’s airspace.

The team seeks to demonstrate a drone-enabled medical logistics network for Scotland, serving a variety of validated real-life use cases across urban and rural environments.

South East CAELUS Team

Nadine Wilkinson, CAELUS Clinical Lead, Healthcare Science Manager for Blood Sciences and Point of Care Testing (POCT), NHS Lothian
Samantha Smith, Senior Innovation Project Manager, NHS Lothian
Rory Maguire, South East CAELUS Innovation Project Manager
Joy Dawson, Innovation Champion, NHS Borders
Brian Renwick, Project Manager, NHS Borders

Key Dates

Flight trials took place in the South East in August 2024. The project is scheduled to run until December 2024.

Project Update

The project team have completed live flights trials between NHS Lothian and NHS Borders in August over a three-week period.

In a ground-breaking first for Scotland, laboratory specimens have been flown from one NHS board to another – by drone.

Live flying took place between the Edinburgh BioQuarter next to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Borders General Hospital in Melrose.
Currently, laboratory samples which inform urgent clinical decision-making are transported by road and can take up to five hours between NHS Borders and NHS Lothian. Innovation activity being conducted by Project CAELUS could see this delivery take 35 minutes, enhancing the transport provision, particularly for rural areas.
Tests were also carried out on how NHS staff in future would engage with the drone both physically and digitally.
Invited guests were involved a special event today (21st August) showcasing the live flight trial with presentations around the work conducted by Project CAELUS.

“Across NHS Lothian, we are continually exploring ways to innovate and enhance our patient experience. Lothian and the surrounding areas are very diverse, from city to country and coastal living. Drones could play an important role in helping to transport samples for testing or speed up the delivery of critical medical supplies.These exciting trial flights have been a collaborative effort between our clinical leads, South East Innovation Hub and partner organisations and I look forward to seeing further developments with this project.”

Dr Tracey Gillies, Medical Director and Executive Lead for Innovation, NHS Lothian

“We are proud to be involved in Project Caelus, exploring how drone technology could provide an additional logistics service to enhance access to essential medical supplies particularly in rural parts of Scotland like the Scottish Borders. Our involvement in this project is part of our commitment to providing high quality person-centred care by modernising services so that they are fit for the future using the technologies that are available to us going forward.”

Laura Jones, Director of Quality & Improvement at NHS Borders

Since January 2020, the CAELUS consortium has designed drone landing stations for NHS sites across Scotland and developed a virtual model (digital twin) of the proposed delivery network which connects hospitals, pathology laboratories, distribution centres and GP surgeries across Scotland.

In October 2023, in a hugely successful trial, flying took place between Glasgow Airport and NHS Golden Jubilee in Clydebank. This initiative was showcasing the integration of drones with modern airspace.

Live flight trials were operated by CAELUS consortium member Skyports Drone Services. The UK-based operator is an experienced provider of drone delivery, survey and monitoring services. The company has a long history of operating medical drone deliveries, including the first drone deliveries with the NHS.

The Scottish Ambulance Service also carried out a simulation study in August to better understand the feasibility of delivering an Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) via drone technology.

Full Press release

Delivery Partners

The CAELUS consortium comprises 16 partners including NHS Scotland (including all 14 territorial boards, National Services Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service) and;

AGS Airports Limited

NATS Holdings, formerly National Air Traffic Services

Connected Places Catapult

University of Strathclyde

Funding Partners

CAELUS project is part funded by Innovate UKs Future Flight Challenge and has secured £7 million of funding.

More on the Innovate UK Future Flight Challenge can be found on their website

Future Flight Challenge

Useful video links

Project CAELUS – NHS Lothian to NHS Borders Live flight trial

Drones fly NHS lab specimens between Lothian and Borders in Scottish first – BBC News

NHS lab specimens flown by drone in ground-breaking first for Scotland – Daily Record

NHS laboratory specimens delivered by drone for first time – Business Insider

NHS laboratory specimens delivered by drone for first time by Project CAELUS – sUAS News

NHS lab specimens delivered by drone in Scottish first (digit.fyi)

Project CAELUS short video

CAELUS 1 short video

Short video showcasing the great work done in Argyll and Bute with the NHS

Short video from COP26 in Glasgow

Full video CAELUS Medical Drones – Showcase Event & Launch

Useful articles

BBC News: Covid in Scotland: Drones to carry Covid samples

BBC News: Medical supplies drone trial takes off in Tayside

Humza Yousaf: ‘Drones could be game-changer for patients in Highlands and Islands’

“The CALEUS project is an exemplar of the large-scale innovation projects Scotland is capable of delivering. Through the NHS innovation test bed infrastructure and by taking a ‘Once for Scotland’ approach, we can determine the viability, scalability and efficiency of the technology, and its potential impact across the NHS. This fusion of skills and knowledge is vital to accelerate the pace of adaption of innovative technologies and support our work to strengthen health and social care innovation in Scotland.”

Professor David Lowe, National Clinical Director, Scottish Health and Industry Partnership, Chief Scientists Office (CSO), Scottish Government