New app helps families to navigate Edinburgh Children's Hospital

Edinburgh Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) has introduced a personal navigation app to help families travel straight from their front door to the correct ward.

The app was launched in an effort to help ease the stress of hospital visits for families.

Created by Waymap, the app uses personal navigation technology to give visitors step-by-step guidance both inside and outside the hospital by integrating with bus and train timetables.

Gilly Bain’s three-year-old daughter Finty and six-year-old daughter Mackenzie have been admitted to the RHCYP numerous times with recurrent RSV and other ailments.

She’s experienced first hand the anxiety of trying to figure out where to go when arriving for an unexpected hospital visit.

Gilly said: “I think any parent, when you’re coming in with an ill child, your blood pressure is absolutely through the roof and it is daunting and stressful and confusing sometimes.

“If you just don’t know where you’re going, it’s quite a big space.

“I think anything that can lighten the mental load of a parent in a moment of stress is absolutely brilliant.”

The technology – which is available in multiple languages – stemmed from an idea to help young blind children navigate the London Underground independently, making it simple and easy to use.

Dr Olivia Swann, paediatric infectious diseases consultant at NHS Lothian, said she was eager to find a solution to help families in what can often be a stressful time.

She said: “My colleagues and I realised we were spending a lot of time helping anxious families find their way around the hospital. I was sure we could do this better.

“My research led me to Waymap and their innovative way of helping people navigate complex indoor settings.”

The technology is already used in transport hubs, shopping centres and sports stadiums around the world but this is the first time it’s been introduced in a health care setting, thanks to funding from Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity.

Roslyn Neely, the charity’s CEO, said: “Hospital visits can already be a daunting experience, especially for children and families with additional needs. This ground-breaking technology removes one of the biggest sources of anxiety – finding your way.

“Not only will it make journeys to the hospital much simpler by guiding people directly to where they need to be, it will also help to ease anxiety, break down language barriers, and reduce missed appointments.”