London parents can explore a NICU before arrival

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-11 18:19 3 min read

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Parents whose babies may need specialist neonatal care can now familiarise themselves with the surroundings at King’s College Hospital before entering the unit in person.

A new interactive 3D virtual tour presents a 360-degree view of the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Families can move between rooms, understand the layout and identify facilities they may need during their baby’s care.

The tour was announced by King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on 10 August 2026. The Trust said it is among the first in London to introduce this kind of virtual access for neonatal families.

By the Beehive Web newsroom, based on information published by King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Families can navigate the neonatal unit at their own pace

The virtual experience allows visitors to look around the unit in every direction and move between its clinical and family areas. This gives parents a sense of the NICU’s scale and arrangement without requiring them to travel to the hospital first.

That preview may be useful before a birth, following delivery or when a baby is being transferred from another hospital. It also offers an alternative for relatives who cannot visit because of travel difficulties or health concerns.

London parents can explore a NICU before arrival

Dr Ravindra Bhat, Clinical Lead for Neonatal Services at King’s, said the period in which a baby needs specialist care can be deeply worrying for parents. The Trust hopes that seeing the unit in advance will make the unfamiliar environment less stressful and help families feel more in control of their experience.

The project reflects a similar emphasis on accessible information found in a separate parent-support tool for families facing paediatric intensive care, although the King’s initiative focuses specifically on exploring the physical neonatal environment.

Incubators, monitors and family rooms are identified

The 3D virtual tour labels equipment that parents are likely to encounter, including incubators, medical monitors and expressing pumps. Each identified item is accompanied by information intended to explain what families are seeing.

Family spaces are mapped as well as clinical rooms. Parents can locate the kitchen and the mother’s expressing room before arriving, reducing the number of unfamiliar details they must process during an emotionally demanding hospital visit.

No patients, parents or members of staff can be identified in the tour. This allows the unit to be presented without exposing the identities of people receiving care or working there.

The tour works on internet-connected devices

Families can open the experience on any device with an internet connection, whether they are at home, travelling or already in hospital. Access is provided through the King’s College Hospital news page carrying the announcement and virtual tour.

The Trust cautions that viewing or revisiting a neonatal unit can bring back difficult memories, even years after a baby’s admission. Parents and carers are encouraged to choose a safe setting and consider whether they feel emotionally ready before opening the experience.

The London Neonatal Operational Delivery Network helped facilitate the project, while Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity provided funding. Charity co-founder Rachael Marsh said seeing the care environment may ease some of the anxiety associated with entering an unfamiliar neonatal unit.

King’s plans to extend the approach across its neonatal services. Production of a separate virtual tour for the neonatal unit at Princess Royal University Hospital is scheduled to take place later in 2026.

Source: King's College Hospital News

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The details were checked against the 10 August 2026 announcement from King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

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Confirmed that the tour covers the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at King’s College Hospital...
Checked the listed equipment, family facilities and internet access details.
Confirmed the roles attributed to Dr Ravindra Bhat and Rachael Marsh.
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