Internet guided tour puts patients at ease before they enter hospital

Company news

Jul 08, 2014

Putting patients at their ease before they have even arrived for their operation is one of the aims of North East London NHS Treatment Centre’s new virtual tour, which enables them to look round the centre from the comfort of their own homes.

The new service showcases the numerous facilities available to NHS patients at the Care UK treatment centre in Ilford. The centre has six state-of-the-art operating theatres and 21 inpatient beds. An average of 1,800 outpatient appointments and 800 surgical procedures are carried out each month across a range of specialties which includes orthopaedics, ophthalmology, oral surgery, general surgery and gastroenterology.

The tour takes patients in through reception and around the various facilities, so that they can not only take a look at the layout and parking but also see where they would stay as an inpatient, and where they would be treated.

Interim hospital director Stephen Cass believes the virtual tour will remove some of the trepidation people experience when attending hospital appointments for the first time.

“We want people to be confident and relaxed when they arrive here,” he explained, “and the tour gives people the chance to find their bearings before they even step into reception.

“They can familiarise themselves with the operating theatres, consulting rooms, recovery wards, waiting areas and reception. Elderly people can be reassured that the scale of the centre is manageable, especially if mobility is a problem, and if this is your first hospital visit I think a chance to look around without any pressure will boost your confidence.

“I also think this tour will be of interest to anyone who lives in the area and is interested in what medical facilities are available close at hand. I know that London has some excellent hospitals, but many are a considerable journey away – this is an excellent facility right on their doorstep.”

The tour can be accessed on the treatment centre website and on Google by searching for the North East London NHS Treatment Centre and clicking on “see inside” on the right hand side of the screen.