Royal Free Radio, the hospital radio station run by volunteers at Chase Farm Hospital, has extended its transmissions to North Middlesex Hospital.

The programmes will be networked from Chase Farm 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and patients in both hospitals will now be able to hear record requests, local news and information, interviews, quizzes and general information for patients on their stay in hospital. National news is provided hourly in a short bulletin “live” from the Sky News Centre.

Royal Free Radio, which has been on the air at Chase Farm Hospital for nearly 46 years since 1970, previously broadcast to North Middlesex Hospital for ten years between 1973 and 1983.

“The rising cost of renting the music landlines between the hospitals at that time meant that it was no longer viable to continue the service,” said Station Manager Andy Higgins, “but with developments in digital technology and following the redevelopment and refurbishment at North Mid it is now feasible to do so once again”.

When Royal Free Radio found that its studio in the old maternity block was to be demolished as part of the rebuilding programme at Chase Farm, the volunteers who run the station feared for its future.

Now, thanks to some marvellous help from the Royal Free staff who found a new home for the station and a grant from the Enfield Community Support Fund, not only is Royal Free Radio still on the air at Chase Farm Hospital in a brand new studio, it has been able to extend its service to North Middlesex.

“The studio move was not without its problems and challenges” said Andy, “but our engineering staff worked extremely hard to ensure interruptions to broadcasts at Chase Farm were kept to a minimum and that the relay to North Mid was up and running as fast as possible.”

Patients are able to tune into Royal Free Radio in North Middlesex Hospital on their bedside equipment on Channel 0. At Chase Farm patients listen in on Channel 1. Programmes are also available over the internet at www.royalfreeradio.co.uk. There is no charge made to patients in either hospital for listening in to Royal Free Radio; the service is provided entirely free of charge.

As a result of the expansion, the station is looking for more volunteers with a few hours to spare each week to help with collecting requests from the wards at either hospital. Anyone interested should check out the website www.royalfreeradio.co.uk for more information or write to Royal Free Radio, Chase Farm Hospital, The Ridgeway, Enfield, EN2 8JL.