vCreate system - helping families keep in touch with their baby

We were delighted to be able to fund the vCreate system for the neonatal unit as Great Western Hospital.  The £4,800 grant we gave means that the hospital can continue to use vCreate for another 12 months.  vCreate enables the neonatal unit to keep in touch with families when they can't be in the ward with their baby.  The system was first trialled during the Covid pandemic as a way to improve communication with families. This in turn provides families with reassurance when they are separated from their newborn.

The system enables the nursing team to send short videos, photos and messages about the babies in their care via a secure family link. It is of course, not the same as being with your baby 24 hours but it really helps families to feel connected and minimises separation anxiety.

Steph Prescott, Neonatal Sister said 'vCreate is such a great system and is so easy to use. Often mums will be expressing milk at home on their own in the middle of the night. They find it such a comfort to receive photos and be in touch at times when they can’t be in the neonatal ward.”

The vCreate system has made a big difference to many families on the unit.  Emily and Stephanie, parents to Rowan have benefitted hugely from it.  'We are here 12 hours a day with our son Rowan' they said.  'The difficult part of every day is leaving him,  When we are here in neonatal we care for him and it's hard to hand over when we go home.  It's really helped to have messages from vCreate. Every night we have a photo and sometimes a message.  It makes such a difference to us and helps you still feel involved.'