Inverness Hospital Radio at Raigmore Hospital seeks requests for patients
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Families and friends of patients in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness are being urged to send a message to them over the airwaves.
Inverness Hospital Radio, which recently resumed nightly live shows following the coronavirus lockdown, is keen so spread the word for people to send in requests and messages for their loved ones.
Programme controller Terry Henderson said although the presenters had not been in the studio during lockdown, the station – which will be 50 later this year – had continued to broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
But although the live shows are now back, the station volunteers are unable to visit the wards.
“The main way we get in touch with patients is via ward visits and speaking to people and getting requests from the actual patients,” Mr Henderson said. “However, we can’t do that just now because of the situation.”
He is urging relatives to contact the station, which broadcasts every night between 8pm and 10pm apart from Mondays, when it airs from 7pm to 9pm.
Mr Henderson said hospital radio played an important role.
“I think it is even more important to patients just now because of restricted visiting and people not wanting to go into hospital,” he said. “It is a real lifeline to some people.”
Although the hospital radio service competes against other radio and TV programmes, Mr Henderson said it had been very popular over the years.
“Perhaps someone doesn’t want to watch TV and will tune in and get a request,” he said.
He said anyone wanting to send in a message could have it read out on a particular night, every night for a week, or for as long as they wanted.
The station can be contacted by phone on 01463 704500, email at requests@invernesshospitalradio.co.uk or via Facebook Messenger. Patients can also call for free from their bedside on *800.
