Latest news with #NHS-related
The Guardian
21-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Drones could deliver NHS supplies under UK regulation changes
Drones could be used for NHS-related missions in remote areas, inspecting offshore wind turbines and supplying oil rigs by 2026 as part of a new regulatory regime in the UK. David Willetts, the head of a new government unit helping to deploy new technologies in Britain, said there were obvious situations where drones could be used if the changes go ahead next year. Ministers announced plans this month to allow drones to fly long distances without their operators seeing them. Drones cannot be flown 'beyond visual line of sight' under current regulations, making their use for lengthy journeys impossible. In an interview with the Guardian, Lord Willetts, chair of the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), said the changes could come as soon as 2026, but that they would apply in 'atypical' aviation environments at first, which would mean remote areas and over open water. Referring to the NHS, Willetts said there was potentially a huge market for drone operators. 'It's great for drone operators commercially, but it's also great for services like the NHS,' he said. Drones could be used to deliver drugs to GPs and patients in remote locations, and to take blood samples to hospitals for testing, he said. The Scottish Highlands and islands could be one area of the UK to benefit, as could farming as a sector, he added. Regulatory changes could enable the use of drones under the government's safer streets fund, which supports measures against neighbourhood crime and antisocial behaviour. 'You could imagine that, for the safer streets initiative, they might be used by the police in circumstances where they might be trying to ensure public safety,' he said. Willetts also indicated that the definition of an 'atypical' air environment could be broadened, which could enable greater use of drones over long distances. The definition could 'cover a lot of airspace', he said. For drones to operate in busier airspace, however, there would need to be progress on technology and standards that alert aircraft to their presence. Citing deliveries to oil rigs and the maintenance of offshore wind turbines as another example of potential use by 2026, Willetts said that 'strictly speaking' using a drone to check on a turbine involved a line-of-sight requirement. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion As part of last month's announcement, the government revealed it was giving £16.5m to the Civil Aviation Authority to deliver a regulatory framework that would allow beyond-line-of-sight drone use. Willetts said regulations had become disproportionate. The NHS already delivers urgent pathology items such as blood samples via drones as part of a trial in central London. It involves moving samples between Guy's hospital and a lab at St Thomas' hospital in partnership with the drone companies Apian – a UK startup co-founded by NHS doctors – and Wing, which is owned by Google's parent company Alphabet. A similar trial has also taken place in Northumberland. The UK technology secretary, Peter Kyle, said the regulatory changes would help the UK 'lead the world in new technologies'. 'These are exactly the kinds of barriers we're determined to break down through the Regulatory Innovation Office,' he said. 'Cutting red tape so drones can safely deliver supplies or inspect offshore wind turbines without costly workarounds like putting someone in a boat.'
Express Tribune
08-04-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
UK's first baby born to woman with transplanted womb hailed as miracle
Listen to article In a UK medical first, a woman who received a womb from her sister has given birth to a healthy baby girl. Grace Davidson, 36, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare condition that left her without a functioning uterus. In 2023, she underwent a successful womb transplant, donated by her sister Amy Purdie, in a groundbreaking 17-hour operation at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. Just over a year later, Grace gave birth by caesarean section to a baby girl, named Amy Isabel, on 27 February at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London. The name honours both the baby's aunt and organ donor, Amy, and transplant surgeon Isabel Quiroga, who led the medical team. 'It was just hard to believe she was real,' Grace said, recalling the first time she held her daughter. 'It was really wonderful.' Photo: FILE Grace and her husband, Angus Davidson, 37, had previously undergone fertility treatment to store embryos before the transplant. Grace became pregnant on her first IVF attempt. The transplant and birth were part of a clinical trial led by Womb Transplant UK. The charity has approval for 15 transplants – five from living donors and ten from deceased donors. All medical staff involved volunteered their time, and the charity covered NHS-related costs. Professor Richard Smith, who leads the trial, said the birth marks the culmination of 25 years of research. 'I feel great joy, unbelievable – it's really something,' he said. Three more womb transplants using deceased donors have taken place in the UK since Grace's operation. Surgeons hope this progress will eventually lead to wider access for women unable to carry children due to absent or non-functioning wombs. Roughly 15,000 women of childbearing age in the UK are estimated to be affected, with around 5,000 born without a womb. Amy Purdie, the donor, said she has no regrets about the surgery. 'It's a huge act of sisterly love,' Grace added, noting how the experience deepened their bond. Grace is currently on immunosuppressants to prevent her body from rejecting the donated uterus. She hopes to have one more child before undergoing a hysterectomy to end the need for the drugs. Surgeons say risks from the medication will return to normal levels once the womb is removed. Globally, more than 135 womb transplants have been performed, leading to at least 65 births. The first successful case occurred in Sweden in 2014. Davidson's birth story is now seen as a beacon of hope for women facing similar reproductive challenges in the UK and beyond.
