In August 2024, the UK government announced £32 million in funding across 98 AI projects tackling problems from train delays to construction site safety, as covered in a gov.uk announcement. Among the funded projects was one led by Nottingham-based Anteam, working with retailers and the NHS to improve prescription delivery efficiency.

The government's own description of the project: "This technology will match the delivery needs of retailers and hospitals to existing delivery journeys, unlocking under-utilised capacity, cutting carbon emissions and delivering a better experience for patients."

98
AI Projects Funded, £32 Million Total
Spanning rail delays, construction site safety, and Anteam's project matching NHS and retailer prescription deliveries to journeys already on the road.

The Same Matching Problem, Applied to Prescriptions

The approach is the same underlying idea behind Anteam Reload™, applied to a different kind of delivery: instead of running a dedicated prescription delivery journey with a vehicle that's otherwise empty or under-utilised, match it to existing delivery capacity already going in that direction. For NHS and pharmacy logistics, that means fewer dedicated trips, lower carbon, and a delivery that arrives without a separate journey being scheduled for it.

Feryal Clark, Minister for Digital Government and AI, said of the wider funding round: "AI will deliver real change for working people across the UK – not only growing our economy but improving our public services."

This national announcement covers the same underlying project as our regional write-up with Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System, which looks at what the same funding means for local patients and pharmacies. Get in touch if you're a retailer, pharmacy, or NHS logistics team exploring the same approach.