Northampton General Hospital welcomes new virtual assistant

Mia with health and wellbeing coordinator Anne-Marie Dunkley, Chief Executive Dr Sonia Swart and charity coordinator Alison McCulloch

Northampton General Hospital has become the first organisation in the town to welcome an unusual new addition to the team, to greet and provide information to staff, patients and visitors.

The virtual assistant, who’s been given the name Mia (messaging, information and advice), creates the illusion of a real person and speaks to people coming in to the hospital.

• The innovative device provides staff, patients and visitors with a range of information including: hand washing guidance
• advice for visiting friends or relatives
• restaurant locations and opening hours
• guidance on using NHS services
• health and wellbeing advice
• information about the Northamptonshire Health Charitable Fund (NHCF) and
• the hospital’s in-house volunteer service.

Anne-Marie Dunkley, health and wellbeing coordinator at Northampton General Hospital described the benefits of Mia: “We’re really excited to welcome the new virtual assistant to NGH. We wanted to find something state-of-the-art to improve messaging and communication with staff, patients and visitors. The virtual assistant is a way to bring messaging to life, not only for general health and wellbeing advice but for other hospital information too.

“As our entrances are extremely busy we took some of the most frequently asked questions people have when coming into the hospital and tried to make them as accessible as possible. By doing this we can create an easier and more enjoyable experience for our visitors.”

As well as providing a friendly face when entering the hospital, Mia is as an exciting alternative to traditional signage around the hospital. The content can be tailored to various areas of the hospital as well as communicating seasonal messaging such as flu vaccinations or advice on staying well in winter.

The new assistant, funded by Northamptonshire Charitable Health Fund, will be positioned at main entrances and in outpatient areas across the hospital from June.