Video service helps families stay in touch with patients in Glasgow hospitals

A video message service is now more important than ever to help families stay in touch with patients in hospital.

The vCreate secure video service was first developed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Hospital for Children at the Queen Elizabeth in Glasgow.

During the coronavirus pandemic It has now been expanded for use in adult ICUs across NHSGGC and more widely in Scotland, to help keep families connected to their loved ones.

The service allows nurses and doctors to record video messages which are uploaded to a secure platform for family members to view.

This has made all the difference for Roz and Neil McAllister as their daughter Lucy continues to be cared for at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Hospital for Children. Lucy was born premature in January.

Roz said: “Our daughter Lucy has been in hospital since she was born in January. The videos have been so important to our family, especially with the now restricted visiting. Waking up to a video of Lucy in the morning is such a reassurance. The team so thoughtful and creative – adding music and making us smile.

“The tremendous staff have made it possible for our other daughter Millie to be able to see her baby sister as well as all of the grandparents.”

Dr Neil Patel, Consultant Neonatologist at Royal Hospital for Children, was instrumental in getting the video messaging service up and running in 2017 and has seen its expanded use.

vCreate is now being used in neonatal units at the Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow, Princess Royal Maternity Hospital, Royal Alexandra Hospital Paisley, Paediatric Intensive Care at Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow and adult Intensive Care Units at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Inverclyde Royal Hospital.

Dr Patel said: “Families have told us that receiving videos of their loved-one reassures them and makes them feel less anxious. It also helps to involve them in their baby’s care and strengthen their relationship with the team in the hospital.

“For us, it makes such a difference to be able to help keep families connected and capture all of those special moments they might otherwise miss. The neonatal team have created thousands of videos. They have become a normal part of our care, but each is personalised for the family who receive them.

“It’s now terrific to see the service extended to adult intensive care units all over Scotland during the current pandemic, supported by the Scottish Government. Many hospitals in England, Ireland and overseas are also using the service too. During COVID-19 these are more important than ever to connect families at the hardest of times.”

William Edwards, Director of e-Health at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, added: “Across our hospitals, our staff embed technology as part of everyday patient care. COVID-19 has emphasised how important this is and we’re proud to connect our patients with their loved ones in this difficult time. VCreate is a great example of how we are making our patient care #DigitalasUsual.”