NHS staff get virtual reality tour of new £15m Cannock hospital facility

NHS staff who will be working at a new £15m facility as part of a Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) have had a sneak peek of their new home through a virtual tour.

70 new staff, as well as existing colleagues, will be employed at Cannock Chase hospital which welcomed its first patients last week.

Some staff members had a 360-degree view 'walk through' while wearing AR goggles provided by Health Spaces Limited, which designed and built the project.

Staff were also shown videos of the facility – part of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) – which features two CT scanners and two MRI scanners.

Glen Whitehouse, group manager of diagnostic services, said: "The new Radiology unit within the CDC has been designed with a completely new workflow in mind.

"It was important the team had the opportunity to explore the building, and the design concept, prior to 'go live'.

"This led to the concept of undertaking a virtual experience, where we could refine the workflows together."

Chinweuba Obayi, Senior MRI radiographer, was 'keen to use the goggles'.

"It was an exciting experience," said Chinweuba. "The place is looking pretty good – the design, and the arrangement of things.

"I’m hoping to move there very soon and am very excited about it, to see what it physically looks like, even though I’ve gone through a virtual tour."

Mike Walsh, deputy superintendent for MRI, was also impressed by what he saw.

"It’s a fantastic experience," he said. "It's a bit weird when you first put the goggles on.

"But when you enter the virtual world, it’s fantastic to walk around the new facility and see what it’s like and get a feel of walking through the spaces.

"Lots of colleagues have been asking and I’ve shown them a few pictures, but now the building is finished they can have a look round, see the layout more, and see the very nice staff room –something they’re all interested in!"

Glen added: "It was great we could have a bit of fun on the day, and we are happy the team liked what they saw."

The new facility will take around 30,000 images per year, with 100 patients a week being scanned, which is expected to increase.

Patients in Cannock and South Staffordshire, as well as Wolverhampton and Walsall, will use the facility, said to 'ease the burden' on New Cross Hospital and Walsall Manor Hospital.