LIVERPOOL, UK – Today, VisualEyes, in partnership with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s Charity, has launched the Phase Two expansion of the UK’s most advanced hospital virtual tour. This upgrade doubles the digital footprint of the project, creating two of the largest merged Matterport models in the country and setting a new global benchmark for how technology can directly combat pre-visit anxiety in healthcare.
Pre-visit anxiety is a significant barrier for children and families attending hospital appointments. The Alder Hey Virtual Map was designed to solve this by allowing patients to “visit” the hospital from the safety of their own home before they ever step through the doors.
Following the success of Phase One, which saw over 31,000 visits and 19,000 unique users in its first year, Phase Two represents a total technical overhaul. The project has moved beyond a simple map to become a comprehensive, immersive Digital Twin of the Trust’s entire estate.
Phase Two: A Technical and Clinical Leap Forward The expansion is not just an update; it is a transformation of the user experience.
● Under its MediSites360 brand, VisualEyes has captured and stitched together the vast majority of the hospital estate, resulting in two of the largest single Matterport models currently active in the UK healthcare sector.
● The tour now extends beyond the main site to include seven vital community clinics (including the Catkin Centre and Sunflower House), reflecting the reality that modern care happens across multiple locations.
● The original graphics and content ‘hotspots’ have been replaced with an intuitive navigation system, new video content utilising staff and patients, as well as green screen ‘avatars’ welcoming visitors to key departments. New signage and wayfinding tools have been integrated directly into the digital fabric, making the experience seamless for users on any device.
This technology provides a critical psychological tool for families. By familiarising themselves with the sights, journey, and environment of the hospital, from the front
door to the specific clinic waiting room, children can regain a sense of control over their experience.
Carl Timms, Production Director of VisualEyes, commented: “When we launched Phase One, we proved that digital twins are not a novelty; they are essential infrastructure for modern patient care. With Phase Two, we haven’t just added more rooms; we have doubled the scale and completely rebuilt the user interface to be cleaner, faster, and more supportive.
“Creating two of the UK’s largest merged Matterport models was a technical challenge, but the result is a seamless digital environment that truly reflects the world-class care Alder Hey provides. This isn’t just about showing people where to park—it’s about empowering a child to walk into their appointment without fear.”
Proven Impact The need for this technology is backed by data. Phase One achieved an average engagement time of over 3.5 minutes per visit from over 50,000 unique visitors over 15 months—demonstrating that families are actively using the tool to prepare for visits, not just glancing at it. Phase Two expands this capability to thousands more families accessing community services, ensuring that the “Alder Hey experience” is consistent, accessible, and reassuring, no matter where their care takes place.
The project, supported by funding from Alder Hey Children’s Charity, stands as a blueprint for the future of NHS patient experience—where digital access and physical care are perfectly aligned