Inclusive Oncology Wayfinder Tool

Barts Health NHS Trust partnered with Circus to create an inclusive virtual navigation tool designed to support oncology patients attending St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. Built using 360-degree photography, fly-through video and multilingual AI guidance, the project was developed to reduce anxiety, improve accessibility and help patients navigate one of the UK’s largest hospitals with greater confidence. Cancer patients frequently reported feeling overwhelmed when travelling to unfamiliar appointments across the hospital’s complex network of entrances, corridors, lifts and treatment areas. This challenge disproportionately affected people with accessibility needs, mobility limitations, heightened anxiety, autism, cognitive overload, and those for whom English is not a first language. Rather than creating a generic virtual tour, Circus designed a personalised wayfinding experience focused on equity and inclusion. Patients access the tool through a QR code or link included in their appointment letter, then choose their preferred language, guide type and accessibility options before being guided step-by-step from arrival point to appointment destination. The experience combines high-definition 360 imagery with short fly-through videos, allowing patients to familiarise themselves with the environment before attending in person. An AI avatar guide narrates routes in five languages, while accessible options include step-free routing, movement-free viewing modes and simplified navigation designed to reduce cognitive overload. The tool was designed to meet WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards and optimised for mobile and lower-powered devices, ensuring accessibility across a wide range of users and technology capabilities. The project demonstrates how virtual and 360 technologies can deliver meaningful social impact beyond entertainment or marketing applications. By using immersive technology to reduce stress, improve understanding and remove barriers to care, the tool supports more equitable healthcare experiences for diverse patient communities. Early results demonstrate significant positive impact. 95.7% of surveyed users said the tool made them feel more confident about finding their appointment, while 100% rated the experience Good or Excellent for usability and clarity. The project, funded by North East London Cancer Alliance, has since generated interest from other hospitals exploring how immersive technology can improve accessibility, inclusion and patient wellbeing across healthcare environments.