Apps

NHS Digital approves platform to benefit new parents

A secure video messaging platform that benefits parents of premature babies has received NHS Digital approval.

The application provides parents of sick and premature babies with video updates has just received central governance approval.  vCreate was first trialled at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, in April in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and now has over 170 parents signed up to receive personalised video updates of their baby’s progress from their smart devices at times when they are not able to be at their baby’s cot side.

The technology allows nurses to record and send secure video messages to parents, to ensure that special moments that parents of premature infants would previously have missed, are captured on video. Moments such as baby opening her eyes for the first time or a first bath. Then, when a baby is discharged, parents have the option to download a secure baby care video diary that documents their baby’s journey and can be kept forever.

Ben Moore, Founder of vCreate, said: “We are thrilled to hear that vCreate has passed central governance and will now be listed as a trusted application. This long-awaited decision means that NHS Neonatal Units considering vCreate will now be able to get started more quickly, and parents with a child in an NHS neonatal unit will receive additional reassurance of their baby’s wellbeing when they need it most.”

vCreate hopes that with NHS Digital’s central governance approval, more units will choose the application which is free to neonatal units and parents through an innovative funding model that sees private enterprises supporting the provision of the vCreate application in exchange for branding on the video page seen by parents.