Royal Hospital for Children launches virtual tour of neonatal unit

An immersive virtual tour of the neonatal intensive care unit at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow went live in July 2024 to help alleviate the anxiety parents feel when visiting their newborn.

The interactive tool provides parents with the chance to understand what to expect at the unit and meet some of the team who work there.

It also explains how the unit will look, feel and sound, as well as making points about hand hygiene and mental health.

The tour, which went live on Friday 26 July 2024, incorporates real audio from the neonatal unit, like beeping, to help parents feel more at ease when they walk in for the first time and includes information points explaining what different pieces of equipment may be used for.

Dr Neil Patel, consultant neonatologist at the Royal Hospital for Children and clinical director of HI Scotland, said: “We hear from families how stressful it can be having a baby admitted to neonatal intensive care and we want to support them in every way that we can.

“This new neonatal virtual tour is a really innovative technology that we co-developed with families in our unit.

“It means they now have a unique way to familiarise themselves with the unit, meet our team and other families and answer some of the questions they may have.

“We also hope it will provide reassurance and make it a much less daunting experience”.

The tour, which is supported by HI Scotland and the West of Scotland Innovation Hub and hosted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, is fully accessible with translation for both the text and voice elements, and a British sign language version available.

It was the idea of senior charge nurse Tracey Clinton and developed in collaboration with patients’ families and the hospital’s neonatal team.

The tour was created by graphic designer David Springford, from Atom Design, who has first-hand experience of being a parent in the neonatal unit.

Springford said: “This project has provided a vital lifeline to families, enhancing their preparation, reducing anxiety, and improving the overall patient experience”.

Also in July 2024, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust announced plans to digitise their maternity services with System C’s BadgerNet maternity system.