18 November 2024

Families with infants requiring special care at St Mary’s Hospital can now take a virtual tour of the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and take a look around the environment and the facilities available to families on the Island.

The 3D virtual tour allows users to explore the unit at their own pace or follow a guided tour. The tour starts at the entrance to the Maternity Department and leads through to the SCBU.

Gill Pears, Family Integrated Care Lead, said: “We want families to have the opportunity to explore the unit and familiarise themselves with the environment and the equipment they may come across, experiencing some of the typical sounds they might hear on the unit and what to expect.

“The overall wellbeing of our families is so important and we hope the virtual tour helps people feel more prepared and reassured if their baby needs special care.

The launch of the virtual tour coincides with World Prematurity Day which is celebrated every year on 17 November to raise awareness of premature birth and the health impact it can have on both parents and their premature baby. Around 53,000 babies are born prematurely each year in the UK - that's 1 in 13 births.

To celebrate World Prematurity Day the Special Care Baby Unit invited families past and present to join them for a coffee, cake and a catch up and to connect with families that have received care at the unit. Held in the SCBU family room, the team loved spending time with some of the SCBU graduates and catching up with their progress.

Take a virtual tour of the Special Care Baby Unit at St Mary's Hospital