Virtual 3D Tour of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at King’s
10 August 2026 - A new interactive tour of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at King’s is now available.
The Trust is one of the first in London to roll out the technology, providing further support to parents and families whose babies require neonatal care.
The 3D virtual tour allows parents to walk through and explore the layout of the neonatal unit virtually, learn about different pieces of medical equipment, and locate family facilities.
Parents can virtually navigate the neonatal unit at their own pace, getting a true sense of the scale and layout of the unit. The technology allows navigation between rooms, with the option to look up or down and all around (a full 360-degree view). All clinical areas of the unit and family areas, such as the parent’s kitchen and mother’s expressing room, are identified, and equipment such as incubators, monitors and expressing pumps, are all labelled with helpful information.
Dr Ravindra Bhat, Clinical Lead Neonatal Services at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We appreciate that it can be a very worrying time for parents whose babies may need specialist care on our unit. We hope that being able to visualise the unit prior to visiting in person can provide some reassurance. We want to do as much as we can to make the experience of being in a NICU less stressful and helping families to feel more in control of their experience.”
Families can access the virtual tour via any technology with an internet connection, whether that be from the comfort of their own home, travelling or whilst in hospital. This is particularly helpful for parents who may be unable to visit the unit in person due to travel constraints or other health concerns.
This project was facilitated in partnership with the London Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (ODN), and funded by Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity. Plans are in place to expand this to neonatal services across the Trust, with the production of the Princess Royal University Hospital’s (PRUH) neonatal virtual tour taking place later this year.
Rachael Marsh, Co-Founder of Ickle Pickles, said: “Virtual tours enable families to see the environment where their infant will be cared for. This may be useful in the weeks leading up to birth, after delivery, or as part of a transfer from another hospital. In all these circumstances it is hoped that being able to look at the environment will reduce any anxiety associated with entering somewhere unfamiliar.”
No patients, parents or staff are identified in the tour. However, it’s important for any parent or carer who wishes to access the virtual tour to make sure they are in a safe space and feel emotionally ready to visit the unit. Revisiting the unit, even years down the line, can bring back emotional memories, so it’s important to take care.
View the tour below.