Initiative that will see drones deliver vital medical supplies lifts off at Glasgow Airport

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Drones will soon take to the skies to transport vital medical supplies and help save lives.It’s part of a pilot scheme organised by a consortium of organisations in Scotland, led by Glasgow Airport owners AGS Airports, to create the UK’s first medical distribution network using the small, lightweight, flying contraptions.CAELUS (Care & Equity – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland), secured £10.1 million funding from the Future Flight Challenge at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) last month to help realise their aim.Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire.

Sign up to our newsletters here.And in celebration of the award, consortium partners gathered at the airport recently to celebrate the official launch of the next stage of the project, following the completion of trials after an award £1.5 million in January 2020, which saw landing stations for NHS sites across Scotland built and the development of a virtual model of the proposed delivery network to connect hospitals, pathology laboratories, distribution centres and GP surgeries.CAELUS brings together 16 partners including AGS, the University of Strathclyde, NATS and NHS Scotland.

They are working on the first national drone network that can transport essential medicines, bloods and other medical supplies throughout Scotland including to remote communities.It’s hoped that the project will lead to a better medical service for those in hard-to-reach locations.Fiona Smith, AGS Airports group head of Aerodrome Strategy and CAELUS project director, said: “The CAELUS project is set to revolutionise the way in which healthcare services are delivered in Scotland. "A drone network can ensure critical medical supplies can be delivered more efficiently, it can