Nelson Health Centre in Raynes Park has become the first NHS primary care facility to adopt drone logistics for transporting pathology samples.
Since February 2026, blood tests have been flown by drone from the health centre to the South West London Pathology laboratory at St George's Hospital in Tooting.
The journey takes just over three minutes, reducing delivery times by 85% compared with road transport.
The move is the first deployment of drone logistics within an NHS primary care setting, with more than 2,000 patients already benefiting from the service.
The drones, designed specifically for transporting small medical packages, also provide additional resilience for pathology logistics, particularly during periods of heavy traffic and extreme summer temperatures that can disrupt road transport across London.
The initiative is being delivered through a partnership between South West London Pathology, British healthcare logistics company Apian and global drone operator Wing.
The service also supports NHS sustainability goals by producing 98% fewer carbon dioxide emissions per delivery than conventional road transport.
The Nelson Health Centre, which serves around 27,000 patients, is part of the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) estate and is managed by Community Health Partnerships.
The organisations involved say the programme could provide a model for integrating drone technology into neighbourhood healthcare services.
South West London Pathology plans to expand the network by connecting additional hospitals, GP practices and primary care sites across the borough using drone logistics.
“By introducing drones into our logistics operations, we’re harnessing cutting edge technology to improve NHS services. We'll be able to avoid disruption on south west London's notoriously busy roads, while accelerating turnaround times,” said Simon Brewer, Managing Director, South West London Pathology.
