However the war ended and the first installation was made in 1919 at the Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C. It would be seven years later before the United Kingdom caught on to this new phenomenon. Aided by technological advances, York County Hospital fitted a few hundred beds with headphones for patients to use and tune in while staying as an inpatient.
Loud speakers were also fitted for general listening by visitors and was no doubt used as an announcement system also but invariably it offers easy listening and sports commentaries and church services.
From hereon, hospitals nationwide started their own Hospital Radio stations and almost a century later, they use the latest technology to deliver pop music and a range of channels with chat shows and other documentaries aired which patients can tune into 24/7.
The staggering fact about this service is that the people who usually operate as a DJ are often volunteers. There are 2500 in the UK alone. Several of the well known DJs that operate on national broadcasting stations like Virgin and the BBC started their careers in Hospital radio.
The most famous in modern age is the BBC DJ Chris Moyles, who's hospital humour has obviously carried weight into the wider broadcasting appeal of the public's mindset. Other notable names are Simon Mayo, Jason Mohammad, Simon Clark and Scott Mills.
Each and every hospital offers their own independent Hospital radio service. It is often wondered why a national radio station doesn't simply get tuned in, however it acts as a community service which is directly related to the region and focuses on visitors and offers a music request service for inpatients.
While all are independent they are invariably members of the Hospital Broadcasting Association which offers advice and guidance to its members and the hospitals and DJ on how best to set up and run a successful hospital radio service.
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Entertainment is just one of the many ways that you can aid recuperation in hospitals. Having a solid understanding of what your options are to ensure good health and enhance recovery is important for everybody, and this can be done by doing your own research online or by speaking to your doctor.
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Making sure that your diet has all of the vitamins you need by taking vitamin supplements can be very effective in warding of serious illnesses, as well as helping your body recover from the trauma of a surgery. Medical products are something that you should always seek advice about with your doctor before you start using anything, but that doesn't preclude you doing your own research to come up with a number of different options.
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There is actually a lot of cross-over between what is needed in care facilities and hospitals, and for both of them, having high quality entertainment is very important. If you're trying to find a care home for yourself or an elderly family member, one of the most important aspects to the criteria should be how well entertained the current guests.