HOSPITAL patients are receiving messages from home and listening to their favourite music thanks to the efforts of Hospital Radio Bedside during the lockdown.

Volunteers are continuing to take requests and bring joy to patients despite being unable to get into their studio at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

They are urging people to submit requests and are also keeping in touch with nurses across the Royal Bournemouth and Poole hospitals to keep their service going.

Head of requests Adrian Boyd said requests shows will continue on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 8pm until 9pm and on Sundays from 6pm until 7pm during the coronavirus crisis.

Volunteers have been able to play more than 200 requests since April 1 while working from home.

And a special playlist has been produced for the children's show which includes favourites including Fix You by Coldplay, Thank You by Dido and All You Need Is Love by The Beatles.

The service normally operates a daily request show including a special show on Saturdays for children in Poole Hospital.

It has been operating for six years and plays nearly 10,000 requests every year.

Adrian said: "As our studios are on the Royal Bournemouth Hospital site, they are deemed a clinical area so we can't get in to present live shows.

"However, at HRB, we refuse to be beaten. Our wonderful engineer Andy Marlor has instigated software that allows around 14 of our presenters to present live shows from their laptops at home.

"If any Echo readers have a family member or friend currently in hospital, we will be really delighted to play a music request for them.

"Anybody can email us at Hospital Radio with a lovely message and a music request for their loved one in hospital. We will then be very pleased to play the request and read out any message on the next request show."

Requests and messages can be sent via email to studio@hospitalradiobedside.co.uk

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