The importance of courier services for the medical industry
Find out why courier services are so important in the medical industry, and how they supported the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The movement of medical goods is an essential process within the medical industry. Whether that is to ensure the quick handover of new and important medicines and equipment or to transfer items from one hospital to another place of care.
Medical companies and the medical industry as a whole will rely on the speed and efficiency of a quality courier service to provide a delivery service they can trust. Couriers offer a wide number of benefits to the medical industry, which we will touch on in this article.
Couriers help streamline processes within the healthcare sector
Thanks to their ability to be fast and efficient, couriers help to improve the efficiency of processes within the healthcare sector. By delivering essential products and equipment to hospitals and other places of care, such as GP practices, care homes, and even patients’ homes they allow healthcare professionals to offer their services faster.
With pressures increasing on healthcare professionals, wait times extending and appointment lists growing, couriers have never had more of an important role in the process of delivering healthcare services to patients. Although it may seem like only a small cog in the wheel, these couriers play a huge role.
Delivering medical supplies with care
On top of being able to deliver quickly and efficiently, there is a wide range of couriers who specialise specifically in the movement of medical supplies. This means they have the tools and equipment to handle this extra-fragile cargo with care.
Certain medical samples, specimens, and equipment require special handling, packaging, and environment to be transported safely. Couriers with temperature-controlled vehicles may be required for the movement of specific medical samples, such couriers can ensure the goods required will arrive at their destination in the same state they left their sender.
Courier services offer GPS tracking for peace of mind
Most modern courier services now offer GPS tracking to their customers. Utilising GPS technology and often mobile or web applications, customers can track their deliveries in real time. For the medical industry, this is a particularly useful feature.
Providing the exact location and estimated delivery time not only means medical professionals can be sure their medical supplies are on their way but also allows them to prepare for their delivery ahead of time. For example, certain samples may need to be kept at a particular temperature.
Being able to see when this is to be delivered means healthcare providers can prepare for their fast arrival and transfer them from the courier van to a safe location, maintaining their temperature at all times.
This GPS tracking also provides some peace of mind, as many medical supplies will be required urgently. Knowing they are in transit reassures the receiver they will not have to wait long for their much-anticipated arrival.
How couriers supported the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic
Throughout the COVID-19 response, courier services played a crucial role in supporting the NHS. This included ensuring the swift and safe delivery of vaccines when the vaccine rollout began, as well as ensuring that PPE was supplied to all healthcare workers up and down the country when required.
The important role the courier services played during this time proved just how essential they are in supporting the busy operations of the medical industry. Without the efficiency and speed of couriers, many healthcare services would have struggled to keep up with the demand for medical supplies.
