Drone network set to transform medical transport across Wales
An initiative aiming to revolutionise medical transport in Wales through the use of autonomous delivery drones has taken a step forward.
Funded by Innovate UK and led by Snowdonia Aerospace, the Dragon’s Heart project will accelerate the development of a fully automated drone delivery network designed to support critical services, including the Welsh Blood Service and the Welsh Ambulance Service.
The drones will make critical medical deliveries, transporting essential supplies such as blood products and urgent samples, providing an efficient service particularly in rural and remote communities where traditional transport can be slower or less reliable.
By speeding up the delivery of blood products to emergency situations and making it easier to transport supplies across different locations, the drones will support emergency services in making timely clinical decisions and strengthen the overall ability of NHS services in Wales to manage urgent medical needs.
The drone technology being developed will be capable of autonomously detecting and avoiding threats mid-flight, ensuring safe delivery of medical supplies.
As part of the project, in partnership with Skyports Drone Services, SLiNK-TECH and Volant Autonomy, prototype vertical take-off and landing areas known as vertiports will be installed at key sites, including:
- The Welsh Blood Service headquarters in Talbot Green
- The Ambulance and Fire Rescue Services resource centre in Wrexham
- The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service/Wales Air Ambulance site in Dafen, Llanelli
These facilities will also host demonstration flights, allowing NHS staff to engage with the new infrastructure.
Alan Prosser, Director of the Welsh Blood Service, said: “This exciting development represents a major leap forward in how we can deliver urgent medical supplies across Wales.
“By working closely with both the partners of this project, we’re exploring innovative ways to improve the speed, safety, and reach of our transport systems. Harnessing drone technology will help us better serve patients and NHS teams, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas, ensuring critical resources arrive where they’re needed most.
“Wales is a perfect place to benefit from this due to our landscape, which presents unique logistical challenges for healthcare delivery. This technology offers a practical solution to overcome those barriers and improve outcomes for patients across the country.”
Jeremy Howitt, Technical Director at Snowdonia Aerospace Centre, said: “We’re proud to be building on the foundations laid during the first phase of Future Flight funding, where we explored how drone technology could enhance healthcare logistics across Wales. This next stage allows us to refine the technical elements of the system, integrating autonomous flight guidance, ground-based radar, and medical delivery drones to create a safe and responsive network.
“Crucially, we’re working in close partnership with the Welsh Blood Service and the Welsh Ambulance Service to ensure the system is designed around the practical needs of frontline healthcare teams. Together, we’re helping to make Wales ‘drone-ready’ and better equipped to deliver urgent medical supplies quickly and safely.”
The current phase of the project focuses on strategic growth and regional demonstration, laying the foundation for a fully operational representative prototype drone delivery service from the Welsh Blood Services, Talbot Green Headquarters by 2027.
For more information about the Welsh Blood Service, visit their site here.
