About Us
Gosport Hospital Radio station has been in operation since 1993. The objectives of the Charity are to relieve sickness, infirmity and the disabilities of people living in Gosport and the surrounding area, by providing a local broadcasting service for hospitals, hospices, old persons’ homes and similar institutions and, wherever possible, providing a similar service within the local community to assist patients receiving ‘care in the community’.
To this end, we are Gosport’s only radio in the community, providing a 24×7 varied programme of music with our increasing rosta of volunteer presenters. Our live shows feature 50s and 60s nostalgia, 70s hits and rock, classic charts, contemporary hits, alternative, country and Sunday morning worship. The station is also being listened to by a wider online audience through the website Live Stream and Listen Again features, and can be accessed via the Listen2MyRadio app, available for Android devices through Google Play or for iOS through the Apple store.
Gosport Hospital Radio – Bringing the music closer to you
Not constrained by commercial radio playlists, Gosport Hospital Radio is proud of its quality music output and relies completely on the love of music from its volunteer supporters and charitable donations from the public and local businesses. Gosport Hospital Radio is a registered charity (No. 1011450).
Gosport War Memorial Hospital
The Gosport War Memorial Hospital was built as a memorial to members of the Portsmouth Division of the Royal Marine Light Infantry, based at Forton Barracks, who had died in the First World War. Its foundation stone was laid by Field Marshal Earl Haig on 3 July 1921.
The hospital opened on 19 April 1923. The East Wing was added in 1932 and the Canon Landon memorial clock, which recognised the life of Canon Guy Landon, Rector of Alverstoke from 1907 to 1947, was added following his death.
The hospital joined the National Health Service in 1948. New out-patient and accident and emergency departments were added in 1963 and a physical medicine and x-ray facility was added in 1966.
A petition with 20,000 signatures prevented the hospital from closing in the early 1980s. In 1991 £10.5m provided to create a new community hospital for Gosport was used to extend the hospital, the work being completed in 1995. This provided beds for General Practitioner, elderly mental health and maternity services, as well as two new day hospitals.
The extended site now provides inpatient and outpatient services for the local community following the closure of the nearby Royal Hospital Haslar and to complement services provided by the expanded Queen Alexandra General Hospital in Cosham which was completed in 2009.
There are four in-patient wards with a total of 70 beds, offering rehabilitation or caring for older people with acute mental health needs.
Rose Ward
Rose Ward is a 16-bed ward providing care for older people who have acute mental health needs and are unable to look after themselves or be looked after at home.
Poppy Ward
Poppy Ward is a 14-bed ward providing care for older people who have acute mental health needs and are unable to look after themselves or be looked after at home. Most patients have memory needs e.g. dementia. Poppy Ward received a full rebuild in 2021, eradicating the former dormitory layout and replacing it with 14 en-suite rooms and three garden areas. It is also full of the latest technology, including:
• wayfinding colours
• noise reduction
• electronic wristbands that ensure patients can only enter their own rooms, promoting privacy, dignity and safety
• de-escalation space
Ark Royal Ward
Ark Royal Ward is a 20 bedded unit specialising in the frailty and rehabilitation of adult patients. The hospitals aim is to provide individualised care tailored to the patients needs whilst promoting independence. The hospital support patients and families with complex decisions around discharge plans and destinations.
Collingwood Ward
Collingwood Ward is a 20 bedded unit specialising in the frailty and rehabilitation of adult patients. The hospital’s aim is to provide individualised care tailored to patient’s needs whilst promoting independence. We support patients and families with complex decisions around discharge plans and destinations.
The minor injuries unit, operated by Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, was upgraded to an urgent treatment centre in 2021. And there is also a GP Practice run by Blossom Health.
Chairman’s Statement,
Bob Whitbread
Welcome to Gosport Hospital Radio.
Over the years we have had four Chairmen and hundreds of volunteers helping to provide a 24 hour radio service. We provide local news, information and, importantly, play the music requested by patients on the wards. It costs over £6,000 per year to maintain our output and that does not include our music, live shows and outside broadcasts which are all paid for by the generosity of the public. Without their donations through fundraising the radio station cannot survive.
In March 2023 we celebrated 30 years of broadcasting to the patients and staff at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital. When we first started in 1993 the radio station was initially launched at the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar. Over the years the radio service technology has changed a lot and in 2009, when we moved to the Gosport War Memorial Hospital due to Haslar Hospital being shut down, new studios and equipment were installed at Bury House, to become what is now the Gosport Hospital Radio studio complex.
More and more listeners are turning back to radio and when you are in hospital or at home by yourself music can be very therapeutic and helps and reminds you of better times. But the pandemic lockdowns hit us hard – we had no access to the studios and credit goes to a small team that kept the automated service active remotely. Like all businesses, charities also suffered a loss of revenue and a reduction in our volunteers resulted in a lack of maintenance over that period. To this end Gosport Hospital Radio was struggling to survive.
But in the last two years, thanks to the local NHS staff and our dedicated volunteers, the radio reception has been updated with a new nurse call system and, importantly, new plug-ins with ear phones to each bed into the two main wards. An updated and improved system for the reception areas is being installed in 2024 and once this has been completed plans are already in place to re-introduce our popular request programme.
When Radio Haslar started in 1993 music was being supplied by vinyl or reel-to-reel tapes and later came the introduction of the CD. We now have a very sophisticated computer system able to create a programme playlist at the touch of a few buttons, together with a satellite dish to deliver hourly news. We can now reach a wider audience through the Listen2MyMusic streaming app, and a new website also provides a live stream and programme information. We now broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, much of it fully automated, together with a selection of specialised live shows hosted by an ever growing roster of 12 volunteer presenters and our excellent behind-the-scenes technical team. We are very proud of the standard that we achieve.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those volunteers, the generosity of the people of Gosport and especially to the local NHS Trusts and members of Gosport Council who helped make Gosport Hospital Radio the success that it is today. However, we must continue to show what a great local hospital radio service we are.
We are a charitable organisation so we are always on the look out for volunteers. You don’t have to have technical skills but you do have to be over 16 years of age. Joining us is a great opportunity to learn how radio stations work, and you may find you’re a natural presenter with a flair for hosting or you may fancy yourself as a budding programme controller.
If you are interested in helping us in any way why not contact us either on 02392 601600 or email us at “gosporthospitalradiostudio@gmail.com”
Bob.
