A new service at Darlington Memorial Hospital will help provide a better quality of radio for the patients.
Patientline has installed new bedside television, radio and telephone equipment to most areas of the hospital.
The good news is that Radio Skerne has been given a dedicated channel on the new bedside units.
From the moment Darlington Hospital Radio broadcast it's first show, it has used a hard-wired distribution system.
Over the years this method of distribution has served its purpose, but time has certainly degraded the system.
The system has seen its fair share of problems and failures, from damaged caused by work to the hospital to the breakdown of vital equipment.
In fact, the patients of the Memorial have had to endure a restricted choice of local and national radio services because of the mechanical failure of two of the main distribution amplifiers.
However, the good news is that while the old system will remain in place, the new channel allocation will mean that for the first time patients will be able to listen to the station in crystal clear stereo sound.
Darlington Hospital Radio is also in the process of having a dedicated telephone extension that the patients can call, free of charge, to have a request or dedication played on the station.
It is hoped this will make it easier for the patient to get in contact with the station. This telephone extension will supplement the dedicated band of ward visitors who take to all floors of the hospital to collect requests.
Patientline is a private company that supplies entertainment services through a single bedside unit to more than 50 hospitals in the UK.
These services have to be paid for using a payment card, like the cards used to top-up mobile phones or in digital television boxes. However, Radio Skerne and up to six other radio stations are free to all users.
Select groups will get free or discounted access to the Patientline services, such as pensioners and children under 16. |
