Matternet adds Great Ormond Street Hospital to its London drone network

Matternet has added Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) to its NHS drone delivery network in London. The company announced the step on 20 October 2026. Drones will fly time-critical medical samples from the hospital to nearby labs, so test results can come back sooner.

At first, the service links GOSH with labs run by The Doctors Laboratory (TDL). The partners plan to add more sites as the network grows. Matternet runs the network with Apian, a UK healthcare logistics company set up by NHS doctors. Apian links hospitals, labs and pharmacies using drones, ground robots and software.

What the numbers say

Matternet says drones can cut transport times for priority samples by up to 90% compared with current methods. The London network has already moved thousands of patient samples, the companies say. Apian reports lower costs and lower carbon emissions than road couriers. Matternet has flown more than 60,000 commercial flights across the US, Europe and the UK. It holds approvals from the UK Civil Aviation Authority for its London NHS work.

Dr Tim Liversedge of GOSH said the goal is to help clinical teams "transport and test samples faster."

What comes next

In September 2026, Matternet announced its next system, the M3. It can carry up to 11 pounds within a 10-mile radius. It uses small docks that can run with no drone pilot on site. Commercial flights are planned for the second half of 2027, with Apian among the first partners. Matternet has not said if the M3 will fly the GOSH route.

See Matternet's page on The Flying Engineer, or browse more drone companies that work on delivery, inspection and survey.

Source: DroneLife, 20 October 2026