Early 1973

How 'wonder-drug' HBS speeds patients' recovery

PATIENTS in Hull's major hospitals are from next week to receive a larger dosage of the homespun wonder-drug HBS.

Injected painlessly through the ears, this proven aid to recovery is manufactured and distributed from a tiny workroom high above Hull’s river-front

Despite its therapeutic effect, the tonic which has been administered to thousands of North Humberside patients is not included in any medical dictionary.

For HBS stands for the Hospital Broadcasting Service (Hull and East Riding), a charitable local radio unit which celebrates its 12th anniversary in a few weeks time.

The service's friendly bedside manner has wooed patients and authorities alike and since it first came on the air, broadcasting has increased from one hour every fortnight to the current five hours a week

From next week hospital listeners will be able to tune in for a further two hours on a Saturday afternoon until the football season kicks off.

More Tricks

And the HBS has more tricks up its record sleeve. The Hull Corporation Telephones Department has granted the service open airtime and the dedicated band of radio 'hams' are currently working fulltime to prepare new formats for further weekly shows.

Thousands of requests have been played from the service's studio in Wellington Street, Hull. For patients in Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston General, Castle Hill, Beverley Westwood and Sutton Infirmary

Constitution

The HBS was born on July 16, 1961, breaking away from its parent association, the Hull Tape Recorder Club, which was founded by Mr Ken Fulstow, who is now secretary of the hospital service.

While fulfilling its listeners' wishes the unit's own requests for a permanent home and cash were falling on deaf ears. At the end of 1968, with little response from a financial appeal to local industry, the voluntary station was nearly forced off the air.

But the unit - which has yet to miss a scheduled broadcast - bounced back under its present title with a new constitution and a list of patrons which includes housewives' favourite disc jockey, Jimmy Young.

Four years ago this month the unit moved to its present premises where £2,000 worth of equipment was installed, costly gear which was fortunately not damaged when fire hit the building last October.

Suitable premises are proving to be the services biggest headache. For until new rooms in the city centre or at a hospital are found the service cannot be improved and many new programme ideas are being shelved.

But what programmes are currently being produced by the 20-odd members are proving to be just what the doctor ordered. Not all members are budding broadcasters - the group does not like to be saddled with the term 'Disc Jockeys'- for other important roles have to be filled.

Technicians, studio assistants, odd-job men and request collectors are all key workers in the system, which also recruits the help of the WRVS hospital visitors.

The group relies heavily upon contributions, both financially and materially, as new additions to a record collection of 185 lp's, 300 singles, 40 ep's and nearly 800 old 78's are always needed.

'Tigerfusion'

The most popular programme is Sunday afternoon's 'Flat Spin' request show. With record requests collected from the wards and from relatives and friends visiting patients who are interviewed by the outdoor broadcasting staff with cassette recorders.

Every programme invariably comes live from the Wellington Street studio via a telephone link with the Telephone Department. The link is 'Tigerfusion' which is used during the winter for the broadcasting of football commentaries.

The broadcasting unit maintains a full complement of voluntary staff whose motives vary from community work to furthering an interest in radio broadcasting.

'Our basic aim is to brighten the patient's stay in hospital and try and bring together families and friends' said Mr Fulstow, who is also chairman of the National Association of Hospital Broadcasting Groups.

Successfully, it seems, for out of the 250-plus requests they receive a week, the unit claims to broadcast up to 90 per cent, 'That is what this type of local radio is all about' pointed out Mr Fulstow.