Welsh Ambulance Service to use drones to survey incidents

The remotely operated drones will provide the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) paramedics with live aerial footage, helping them spot previously unseen dangers.

The drones will not only provide live video feeds to the operators on the scene but will also relay the feed to clinicians in the trust’s control rooms.

This will allow them to monitor, assess, and, if necessary, provide additional assistance to those on the ground.

Giles Hodges, HART training manager, said: "Our HART paramedics are often working in remote locations which can be vast and difficult to access, making it extremely challenging to get an exact location for a patient.

"If we have the capability to survey a hazardous area before we commit our staff, it means that not only is it safer for everyone involved but also, it is likely to mean we can reach the patient more quickly."

The drones, with their imaging capabilities, will allow the paramedics to cover much greater distances, boosting the chances of spotting the casualty before it’s too late.

The drones are operated by specially trained paramedics who, after completing theory and practical exams, have obtained general and visual line of sight licences from the Civil Aviation Authority for drones weighing up to 25 kilograms.

Scott Hanson, Wales coverage project manager, said: "Having the drones provides situational awareness to our HART paramedics, giving them an enhanced overview of the incidents they are responding to.

"This will really benefit patients in difficult to reach or inaccessible locations as the drones have infrared capabilities and will give a bird's-eye view of the area.

"The thermal imaging capabilities of the drones have the potential to quickly identify casualties, even in the dark."

At present, when a casualty is in a hard-to-reach location or cannot be found, the service may have no choice but to request air support, using helicopters from other agencies.

It is hoped that if the drones are successful, they will reduce the reliance on partner agencies, particularly during search and rescue incidents, allowing those vital resources to be used for other emergencies.

This is not the first time the Welsh Ambulance Service has explored the potential of drones, having previously worked with the University of Warwick and industry partners SkyBound to examine whether drone-delivered defibrillators could help in cases of cardiac arrest.

Jonny Sammut, director of digital services, said: "This marks an exciting leap forward for the Welsh Ambulance Service as we embrace cutting-edge technology to improve both patient outcomes and staff safety.

"Deploying drones to support our frontline teams is not just about innovation, it’s about smarter, faster, and safer care in the most challenging environments.

"This is one of our first steps into drone technology, and our eyes are already set firmly on the horizon, potentially beyond visual line of sight capability, which could be truly game-changing.

"Harnessing tools like this allows us to act safely and decisively in moments that matter most, supporting our crews and reaching patients quicker than ever before."