See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy FRANCINE WOLFISZ, NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:01 BST, 26 August 2026 | Updated: 00:30 BST, 26 August 2026
Wealthy residents living close to Britain's most famous children's hospital say they are 'fearful' over the impact of drones flying over their homes to transport blood samples.Great Ormond Street Hospital, in central London, began trialling drone flights last month for samples needing urgent testing at nearby laboratories.Hospital bosses say the drones are 'significantly quieter than a car' during flight.But some residents claim noise caused by the drones could disrupt life on their affluent street, where homes can sell for more than £2 million.Debbie Radcliffe, 70, who has lived in the area for 40 years and is co-chair of the Bloomsbury Residents Action Group, said her neighbours had raised several concerns. She said: 'Local people don't really know anything about the practicalities of drone deliveries or how it will actually affect residents' quality of life.'Will they hear anything? How large are the drones? How visible will they be? Will people who live below the flight path be scared?'We see the effect of drones in war zones on the TV.'Will people associate a commercial delivery with something much more ominous.'A vulnerable person might be harmed mentally if they don't know what is happening.' Great Ormond Street Hospital plans to use drones to transport urgent blood samples to nearby laboratories in central London Nearby residents are concerned over noise from the drones flying over their homes, pictured Some residents say they are 'fearful' the drones could disrupt life on their affluent street, where homes can sell for more than £2 millionThe drones are already being used to deliver urgent blood samples between Guy's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital in under three minutes.Great Ormond Street now plans to use the technology to fly samples to a nearby lab on Euston Road, less than half a mile away.Co-chair Trevor Shonfeld, 70, said locals were concerned a drone carrying biological samples could crash onto the streets below.He said: 'It seems an overkill by a massive extreme, I can see it working for St Thomas's up to Guy's flying over the Thames, which they do regularly - and it is over the Thames, so it's not a safety issue particularly.'But this is over a very dense residential area and there's concern about it.'What doesn't make sense is that you can cycle it in five minutes. Trevor Shonfeld, co-chair of Bloomsbury Residents Action Group, questioned the use of drones when samples can be transported by bike 'in five minutes''By the time you've got this thing up to the roof, packed onto a drone, unpacked it, and taken it down to the lab - it just doesn't add up.'Launched in partnership with healthcare logistics company Apian, the drones fly from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.The Matternet M2 drones - which fly at a height of 110 metres (360 feet) - can carry up to two kilograms of cargo around 12.4 miles.The company says the technology can speed up the transport of pathology samples from the hospital to delivery points by 'up to 90 per cent'.Great Ormond Street Hospital says it is currently conducting a trial comprising a 'small number of flights with no samples'.A spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital said: 'Like other NHS hospitals, we are testing the use of drones to fly pathology samples to nearby laboratories, subject to risk assessment and approval from the UK's aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority.'We hope these flights will help get quicker results for our patients, by avoiding traffic delays, as well as reducing emissions.'Ahead of the trial flights, we contacted local residents and businesses under and adjacent to the initial flight path to ask them to share any concerns.'We are yet to receive any responses and remain happy to discuss the project as this trial progresses.'
