Hospital radio lifting patient spirit for 55 years

14 hours ago

Alice CunninghamSuffolk

John Alborough has volunteered at Hospital Radio Ipswich since 1974

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust John Alborough sits in a radio studio with headphones on. He is looking at the camera and smiling. He has grey hair and wears a blue shirt. In front of his face is a radio microphone and other radio equipment. — John Alborough has volunteered at Hospital Radio Ipswich since 1974

For more than 50 years, volunteers have been making a difference in Ipswich NHS patients' lives through hospital radio.

Hospital Radio Ipswich at Ipswich Hospital first launched in 1971 and it continues to operate, run entirely by volunteers 24 hours a day.

John Alborough is one of those volunteers, having joined the team in 1974, and he has seen vast changes to both the NHS itself and radio in that time.

For him though, it is talking with patients at their beds that he enjoys the most and he says it is a vital service.

"I absolutely love, and still love, going around and talking to patients," he says.

"You could almost write a book of all the stories of where people have had such a pleasure from listening to their favourite piece of music and talking to people.

"I've always said talking to people at their bedside is more important than coming away with a request... it's fantastic."

Hospital Radio Ipswich's studio is also currently being revamped and moved into the heart of the hospital, Alborough says

The entrance to Ipswich Hospital. A white sign details the hospital and has a blue and white NHS sign on it. Cars can be seen behind the sign parked in a car park. A multi-storey building and other smaller buildings are in the background. — Hospital Radio Ipswich's studio is also currently being revamped and moved into the heart of the hospital, Alborough says

The team has seen various changes over the years, including technological advancements which means now they can be heard not just in the hospital, but across the world through the internet.

With radio competing more and more against other platforms over the years and with the added "explosion" of stations, Alborough says he once questioned whether the hospital radio is still needed.

But he says he soon realised it certainly is.

"We now find that there is such a world of independent radios out there... some very good and some not so good, but that's enabled us to really be identified as a special service that is different to other people," he adds.

Alborough is the current chairman of the station and has also recently completed nine years as a governor on the trust which he "thoroughly enjoyed"

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust An old photo of John Alborough as he smiles at the camera. He wears a brown long-sleeved top with the words Hospital Radio Ipswich on it as well as an emoji-style face with radio headphones on. John has brown hair and rests his hands on his hips. — Alborough is the current chairman of the station and has also recently completed nine years as a governor on the trust which he "thoroughly enjoyed"

'Challenge'

Along with changes in music, he has also seen changes in the amount of time patients remain in hospital.

"It used to be [on average] 10 days and now it's about two days, so you can't build an audience so you've got to constantly work to remind people that we're there," Alborough continues.

"Some people are of course in for weeks, so we've always got this challenge of mixed duration, mixed ages, mixed taste in music and reminders that we exist."

The radio station was originally set up in the old Anglesea Road site before it moved to the current hospital in Heath Road

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust John Alborough sits in a radio studio with headphones on. He is looking at a screen as he speaks into a microphone in front of him. He has grey hair and wears a blue shirt. One of his hands rests on the desk in front of him. — The radio station was originally set up in the old Anglesea Road site before it moved to the current hospital in Heath Road

Volunteering is precious to Alborough and he encourages everyone to consider it.

"I went to Hospital Radio Ipswich at least once a week and met a different group of people to my family and friends... I think that's the beauty of volunteering.

"You come out of yourself, you go to a different world, you make good friends in a different world and then you go back to your own world again.

"I think that's one of strengths of volunteering."

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