Service
On-board courier and hand-carry
A named courier travels with the shipment for the whole journey, so responsibility never leaves an identified individual.
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Hand-carry is the method we use for most reproductive material. Its value is not speed. It is that the shipment is never handed to a party that is not part of the agreed custody chain.
One courier is assigned to the case, travels with the shipment, and is the person who signs it over at the destination. Where a route genuinely requires a second courier, the transfer between them is a documented handover in its own right.
Who it is for
- Any transfer where an uninterrupted custody chain is the priority
- Clinics that require a named individual to sign at both ends
- Routes that cross borders and involve more than one carrier
- Patients who want a single point of accountability
What is transported
- The prepared shipper and its contents
- The custody documentation for the case
How it runs
Coordination - and what happens at each point
How coordination works
The courier is briefed on the case, the route and both clinic contacts before travel.
Courier identification is confirmed with both clinics in advance of collection.
The courier's contact route is shared with both laboratories for the duration of the journey.
Before collection
- Assign a named courier and brief them on the case
- Share the courier's identification details with both clinics
- Confirm the routing and any connections
- Confirm our own shipper is prepared and within its usable period for the planned journey
During transport
- The courier retains the shipment throughout the journey
- Any transfer between couriers is recorded as a formal handover
- Deviations from the planned route are reported to both clinics
At handover
- The courier presents identification at the receiving clinic
- The receiving clinic verifies the seals and identifiers before signing
- The signed record closes the custody chain for the case
What we need from you
Information required to assess this route
Enough to judge whether the movement can proceed, and no more. Please do not send medical records.
- Confirmed collection and delivery addresses with access arrangements
- Named contacts who will release and receive the shipment
- Any site identification requirements the courier must meet
- The travel documents required for the route
Limitations
Where this service stops
Stated up front, because finding out later is worse for everybody.
- Availability depends on the route, the schedule and the notice given.
- Some routes cannot be completed by a single courier and will be planned with a documented courier-to-courier handover.
- Screening arrangements at any airport are determined by that airport's authority, not by us.
Related services
- Urgent and priority transportAccelerated assessment and scheduling for time-critical cases, where the route and documentation position allow it.
- Chain-of-custody managementThe record that runs underneath every transport we handle: who held the shipment, when responsibility passed, and who signed for it.
Request a quote
Request a quote for on-board courier
Send us the two clinics, the material and your preferred timing. We will assess the route and confirm what it involves.
A quotation is provided following case assessment. Requirements vary by origin, destination and the organisations involved, and some routes cannot be supported.