00:00The Careless Project is an initiative part funded by Innovate UK. We are a 16 partner
00:17consortium and our objective is to demonstrate a drones logistic network within Scotland
00:23for NHS.
00:25We've got 16 partners from a range of different industry sectors all bringing their own specialist
00:32expertise to the table to address the different elements that are required to be in place
00:38to allow us to deliver items between health board areas.
00:42We're really excited to be here today at Borders General Hospital and we are thrilled to have
00:48had the first of our flights in the Careless Project within the first of our flying networks.
00:53This network is actually the first time that the NHS in Scotland have flown between two
00:59different health boards between Lothian and Borders and the project are just so proud
01:04that we've managed to achieve this.
01:06This is a really important milestone in the Careless Project. It's a really exciting time
01:11for us because we're able to demonstrate drone flights carrying medical cargo for the NHS
01:19for the service that we're hoping to develop for them and being integrated into the airspace
01:24in a safe, efficient and equitable manner.
01:29For this use case specifically we're focusing on lab samples but it's also customisable
01:34for transport of pharmaceuticals, blood products, equipment. As part of that I think one of
01:39the most critical things for us was ensuring that we got the temperature control right.
01:43The packaging provides full temperature control for up to five hours or five plus hours between
01:48two to eight and fifteen to twenty five degrees C which covers the vast majority of NHS payloads.
01:53For us at the moment this specific use case, the transit time between Lothian and Borders
01:59is five plus hours with several stops. So for patients who have very critical conditions
02:04or things that might be suspected, these lab samples arriving in half an hour can make
02:08a real difference to people's lives.
02:10So this is one of a number of flight trials happening as part of the Careless Project
02:16and in the future flight trials that happen later in the year, NATS is really excited
02:21that we'll be able to demonstrate and showcase some of our technical solutions for managing
02:27the air traffic in a scalable way and hence getting us that bit closer to realising the
02:32vision for the project to integrate drones and other airspace users safely, efficiently
02:39and equitably.
02:41I think opening up new ways of doing healthcare, particularly for the remote and rural aspects
02:48of parts of Scotland, I hope it will help deliver a lot more care at home and just allow
02:54the NHS to adapt to new ways of working.
02:57If we wanted to sell it down it's improving healthcare quality, so it's giving people
03:02who are living in remote places in the Highlands and the Islands and places where they're not
03:07maybe close to the healthcare they need, it's giving them that access, making it easier
03:11for them.
03:12I think drone technology within the health environment is a really positive thing and
03:17should be seen as that.
03:20It's opportunities that we haven't already got and it's not going to take away from anything
03:25that we currently do but it could certainly enhance patient care which is fundamental
03:29to NHS.
03:31Careless Project is looking forward to moving on from the successful flights that we've
03:37undertaken here in the Borders to our next network in Ayrshire and Arran and then after
03:43that onwards into NHS Grampian and Highlands and there's some really exciting initiatives
03:50coming up to test different use cases and validate new airspace integration concepts.
03:55I think for me, as an NHS Lothian employee but also as my own health board, I can see
04:02great potential, particularly for our rural communities but from an urban perspective
04:07as well and being part of that to be able to see what improvements can be made and enhancements
04:12to our existing healthcare system but also logistics within Scotland to be able to help
04:19some of those communities.
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