Covid rules leave hospital radio feeling isolated

Stephen Height said interaction with patients is vital

Hospital radio stations say they are facing a drop in listeners from patients and staff due to Covid-19 ward restrictions.

They report rules have stopped teams from collecting requests from patients, and has made promotion harder.

In turn, there are worries that patients are losing a "sense of escapism".

According to one presenter, it has left the service feeling "incomplete".

Stephen Height, from Radio Warneford which provides services to several West Midlands hospitals, said he had to "believe that there are people listening", adding: "It feels strange not being in the wards. It's very much a different experience.

"The interaction with patients is so vital, it feels incomplete without it."

Volunteers report wanting to return to the wards and interact with patients again

Simon Tidmarsh, from Coventry Hospital Radio, said most of the request-collectors felt disappointed about not visiting the wards.

The best part of hospital radio, the presenter said, was bringing a smile to somebody's face.

Ben Mitchell said hospital radio provided a sense of escapism for patients

Ben Mitchell, who volunteered at Radio Warneford, is a podcast producer for The Times and praises the benefits of hospital radio.

He said it provided a sense of escapism for patients and was a beneficial part of their wider care.

"For many," he explained, "it was simply the ward visits from the radio volunteers that was enough to bring some joy - as for many of them, they were the only visitors they had."

Amy Palmer said the HBA hoped ward visits returned soon

The stations are supported by the Hospital Broadcasting Association (HBA), a national charity which represents thousands of radio volunteers.

Amy Palmer, HBA executive director, said she was aware of the restrictions but had no control over them.

"We would like ward visiting to get back up and running as soon as is feasibly possible," she said.

The HBA, she added, was engaging with NHS Trusts and hospitals to encourage volunteers to be allowed on the wards again.