Collaboration with Hospital Broadcasting Association

The HBA are an organisation that support member stations and their volunteers through both representation and action. The HBA liaises with charity regulators, broadcast and licencing bodies, and commercial organisations. Supporting hospital radio, and highlighting the benefits of music and light entertainment.  

The member stations help provide social interaction by providing the listeners with a virtual friend and through face to face interaction with volunteers from the station. They also create a sense of belonging by familiarising patients with the hospital. The patients feel more like an individual rather than ‘just another patient’ because of the personalisation of the requests they can send in. The volunteers also gain a sense of community and feel fulfilled as they’re contributing to something bigger than themselves. 

What we have offered and who’s involved

SPARK TSL reached out to the member stations through the HBA Newsletter in 2022. Since then, we have built a relationship with the Hospital Radios. Alice from the Marketing Team and Ryan from Products, have attended one of their monthly meetings to update them on the situation with the Bedside Units and how we can support them. We were also invited to the HBA Conference and Awards on Saturday 13th April 2023. Alice and Ryan will be attending the conference as representatives of SPARK TSL to continue their relationship with the Hospital Radio's and support where possible. In light of this, SPARK TSL have sponsored the 'Recognising Innovation across Hospital Radio' award.

Regarding marketing material support, we offer the following:

• An image on the bottom of the Bedside Units advertising their hospital radio and how to listen.
• A social post advertising how patients can listen to the radio on our LinkedIn and X social media channels.
• Poster design that they can print off and use around the hospital. 
• Putting them in touch with the Area Service Technicians who repair the Bedside Units and supply headphones for free. 

We want to help as many patients as possible to make the most of this free service. We also work with them to get information in their magazines about how patients can use the free services on the Bedside Units, including how to listen to the radio. The previously known Hospedia Bedside Entertainment Units are one of the main ways in which patients can listen to their local volunteer lead radio station. Without some kind of entertainment unit next to patient's beds, those without their own device will have no way of listening to the radio, depriving them of much needed entertainment and sense of community.

A few radio stations, such as Tyneside, also commentate on local football matches, meaning patients can continue to support their local team without paying expensive SKY or TNT prices. We also advertised this on the Bedside Units.

Here is a list of more Hospital Radio Stations that SPARK TSL have helped promote on the Bedside Units. 

Benefits of the Radio 

We are more than happy to promote the work of these amazing volunteer-lead radio stations that provide a number of benefits to patients. This includes the improvement of psychosocial health.

• Boredom decreases due to the entertainment  
• Loneliness is reduced by social interaction
• Anxiousness / frustration is lessened through calm and reassurance 
• Disorientation is minimised by creating a sense of belonging 
• Depersonalisation is reduced by making one feel like an individual

• Health and wellbeing awareness is increased by providing information 

 The radio was the original form of patient entertainment and is a great way to pass the time and improve patient experience. A healthier mind leads to a faster recovery, and we are proud to be able to contribute to this by providing free access to commendable hospital radio stations, on both TV Bedside Units and BYOD.

The Importance of Hospital TV Bedside Units

Mid-Downs Radio are currently in the position where they will struggle to get enough listeners to keep the station running. This is because the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust have decided to decommission the Bedside Units at Princess Royal and Haywards Heath, without providing a replacement. Not only will a lack of entertainment and resources negatively impact patients, but a selfless and kind volunteer hospital radio will have to shut down. Cutting those patients off from an invaluable source of connection, something that is desperately needed in hospital.

We understand Trusts leaning towards removing the legacy Bedside Units because of their age and the patients pays model (which we're trying to remove!). That's why we advise them to upgrade the technology and reap the rewards. Alleviating staff pressures, improving the patient experience, saving costs and supporting the Hospital Radio's. Learn more about the existing Bedside Units and what the future will look like in this blog.

Support the HBA and the UK's Hospital Radio's

Learn more about HBA and all the amazing work they do to support Hospital Radio stations here. 

If you’d like to promote your Hospital Radio station with us, get in contact.