For clinics, dental labs, pharmacies and healthcare suppliers
Medical and Lab Courier Guide: Samples, Equipment and Supplies
Healthcare deliveries are usually small, but the record of who handled them matters as much as the speed. This guide explains how to book a dedicated courier for clinics, dental and diagnostic labs, pharmacies and equipment suppliers, and what you as the sender stay responsible for.
Each job goes direct, in one vehicle, from your door to the named recipient, with a signed and timestamped handover at both ends. Chilled vans are available on request through our network, and temperature records can be supplied on request.
Collection and delivery are required — a town, city or postcode is enough.
Same-Day / Urgent
Need medical and laboratory deliveries today? Collection within 60–90 minutes, direct driver, status updates — your job goes straight to the front of the queue.
Car from £1.25/mile · £55 minimum
Flexible DeliveryTypically around 30% less
Not in a rush? Flexi7 allows collection and delivery within seven days. We can match your medical and laboratory deliveries with suitable vehicle movements, subject to route suitability and availability.
Ideal for furniture, marketplace pickups & non-urgent freight
Typical medical and laboratory consignments and the van that suits them
A starting guide only. Vehicle specifications vary, so we confirm the exact vehicle against the dimensions, weight and access requirements of your job before allocation.
Dental impressions, models and appliances
Usual vehicle: Car
Usually boxed by the practice or lab. Regular runs suit a recurring booking.
Packed diagnostic specimens
Usual vehicle: Car or small van
The sender packs and labels to the standard the receiving lab requires.
Chilled supplies
Usual vehicle: Refrigerated van (on request)
Ask when booking. Temperature records can be supplied on request.
Clinical consumables and stock
Usual vehicle: Small or SWB van
Boxed or palletised stock between suppliers, stores and clinics.
Equipment for repair or loan
Usual vehicle: Small van to LWB van
Give dimensions and weight. Delicate equipment travels strapped and upright.
See vehicle sizes and starting rates on our pricing page. Website prices are shown + VAT.
Before you book: what to have ready
Having these details ready lets us allocate the right vehicle and avoid a wasted journey.
- Named sender and named recipient, with direct phone numbers
- Packaging that already meets the receiving lab's or supplier's requirements
- Whether the item must be kept chilled, so we can allocate a refrigerated van
- Any reception, porter or ward instructions at the delivery address
- Your reference, such as a patient-free job or order number, for the proof of delivery
- Hours when the receiving department can actually sign for items
What happens on the day
1.Collection
The driver collects from the named person, checks the item count and records the time. Items stay sealed. The driver doesn't open sender packaging.
2.In transit
One vehicle, one driver, no depot transfers. Chilled items travel in a refrigerated van when you've requested one.
3.Delivery
Handed to the named recipient or department, with name, time and photo recorded and emailed to you.
Same-Day or Flexible: which to book
Book Same-Day when…
- A sample has to reach a lab within its processing window
- A clinic is waiting on a dental appliance for a booked appointment
- Equipment has failed and a replacement or loan unit is needed today
Urgent collection is typically 60–90 minutes, subject to availability and location.
Book Flexible when…
- Restocking consumables between stores and clinics
- Sending equipment for routine servicing
- Returning loan equipment to a supplier
Flexible jobs are collected within an agreed window and cost less. The quote above shows both prices.
What we don't do
Knowing the limits up front saves you booking the wrong service.
- No frozen transport and no GDP-validated pharmaceutical cold chain.
- We don't publish or guarantee specific temperature ranges. Chilled vans are offered on request, with records available on request.
- We can't carry dangerous goods that need ADR, and we don't pack specimens. Packaging stays the sender's responsibility.
- We don't transport patients.
Goods are normally covered under the assigned driver's goods-in-transit policy up to £5,000. Taylors Courier Service Ltd's contractual liability is capped at £250 unless otherwise agreed in writing. Additional cover can be arranged before collection. How cover works
Medical and laboratory deliveries: common questions
Who is responsible for packing specimens?
The sender. Pack and label to the standard the receiving lab requires. The driver collects sealed packages, records the handover and doesn't open them.
Can you provide a refrigerated van?
Yes, chilled vans are available on request through our network, and temperature records can be supplied on request. We don't offer frozen or GDP-validated pharmaceutical transport.
Can we set up a regular collection from our practice to a dental lab?
Yes. Fixed daily or weekly collections are usually booked as a recurring run, so the same times are held each week.
Do you carry patient information?
We carry sealed items and record only the references you give us. Please don't put patient names on the booking. Use a job or order number instead.
Ready to book a medical and laboratory delivery?
Get both prices online in under a minute, or send the job details on WhatsApp and we'll confirm the right vehicle.