Alder Hey launches Europe's largest virtual hospital map

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has unveiled Europe’s largest 360° hospital Matterport virtual map, designed specifically for children and their families.

It has been developed to help children and young people become more familiar with the hospital before appointments or procedures and help to reduce anxiety and nerves.

The cutting-edge experience, funded by Alder Hey Children’s Charity and developed by VisualEyes, allows users to walk around and explore the hospital interactively before they arrive from any internet-enabled device.

Over 188,594 square feet of Alder Hey have been scanned using the latest virtual technology and captured in 4K quality. Phase one of the project features Alder Hey’s main hospital atrium, Emergency Department, Outpatients, Radiology, the Rainbow Centre, Surgical Admissions, Sugical Day case and some ward areas, making it the most extensive hospital Matterport map of its kind in Europe.

Integrated within it are 159 interactive hotspots that allow you to discover what happens behind the scenes in different areas. Users can click on labels, watch up to 74 videos explaining what happens when you have a procedure or arrive for an appointment, or even hear short sound effects—such as the bustling theatre corridor—that give insight into what’s happening in each area.

Nathan Askew, Chief Nursing Officer at Alder Hey said:

“Launching the 360° virtual map is part of the hospital’s mission to improve the experience for children and young people coming to the hospital. As part of our Vision 2030, we want to make visiting Alder Hey as positive an experience as possible and to make learning about what happens in one of Europe’s busiest and biggest children’s hospitals informative and fun.”