Circa late 70's

Helping patients to forget their aches and pains

ONE of the most effective 'pick-me-ups' used in local hospitals is prescribed five times a week to keep patients cheerful and singing in their beds. The name of the tonic is HBS - Hospital Broadcasting Service - and its special formula makes patients forget their aches and pains as they request and listen to their own favourite records.

The service is an offshoot of a tape recording club formed in 1960 by Mr Ken Fulstow, of Lowfield Road, Anlaby with hospital broadcasting as one of its aims.

A hospital message service was inaugurated in September of that year and the full broadcasting service got underway the following July.

Broadcasts are transmitted though the Tigerfusion network by Hull Corporation Telephones Department.

TRIAL PERIOD

To start with HBS - which now goes out every day but Wednesday and Saturday to about half a dozen hospitals in the area - was allocated only one hour a fortnight. After a trial period of three months this was increased to one hour a week.

Now the 20 or so volunteers who run the service from Studios at 98, Beverley Road, are making plans to extend the network to the Maternity Hospital and to the Broadgate and De la Pole Hospital.

LOCAL EVENTS

Apart from their daily shows and request programmes, HBS also put out a monthly programme called 'Roundabout' which gives details of local events.

HBS is one of over 2,000 hospital radio units in Britain. They differ greatly from one locality to the next but all have the same basic aim - to serve patients in local hospitals and make them smile.

Now members of the Hull service have come up with another idea they will hope will help patients - a magazine.

Called Network News, the first one, which will be of about four pages, should be circulating throughout the hospitals within the next few months. After that it will be published regularly by the Hull and East Riding Hospital Broadcasting Service.

Apart from giving details of HBS programmes the first edition outlines the history of the service from 1930 until present day.