About Us

MISSION STATEMENT
To provide intelligent informed entertainment to the patients and staff of South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, and to provide a complementary professional broadcasting service to mainstream media, by linking the worlds of entertainment and education.

WHAT ARE WE?

SouthSide Hospital Broadcasting is the hospital radio station for South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, serving the South Cleveland Hospital. The trust fully supports the works of the station, and is actively participating in the Restricted Service Licence and Community Radio applications.

WHERE ARE WE?

We are situated in the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough. The hospital’s main catchment area is Teesside south of the river, serving a population of some 300,000 people. However the trust is the Designated Regional Cancer Centre, Designated Regional Spinal Injuries Centre, Regional Head Injuries Intensive Care Unit, and has 32 specialities of General Medicine, Surgery, and Maternity. Because of the the hospital treats patients from across the north, serving a population of around 1,000,000 people.

HOW DO WE OPERATE?

SouthSide is staffed entirely by professional volunteers, we aim to provide a first class service for patients and staff alike – informative, entertaining, friendly, and well worth listening to! Our staff come from a wide variety of backgrounds, which give us a broad base for program development and a chance to provide that little something that other media lack.

The day to day running of the station is carried out by the steering group (with officers elected annually), but all station staff are encouraged to attend the steering group meetings and air their views.

There are no paid officials or other staff at SouthSide. This in no way implies that a professional approach is compromised. Each volunteer is subject to a rigorous application process and compulsory training, before they are let loose on the patients.

All programmes are recorded when broadcast, for future review and criticism. Patient surveys, an important part of the new NHS, include questions relating to the availability and standard of programmes, and their presenters. We generally receive a good or excellent rating, but we are not complacent.

We have found that the broad backgrounds of the station volunteers mean that there are always some good ideas for improving our service.
WHY DO WE DO IT?

We believe that if you are unfortunate enough to be in hospital, your stay should be made as comfortable as possible. The nursing staff look after their medical care, the chaplain, the spiritual, and among others, we are here to keep your mind occupied so you don’t get bored and miserable.