The Annual Report of 1953 under a section about the development of services and amenities gives and account of the success of an appeal sponsored by the Cambridge Evening News for funds to ‘provide first-class wireless equipment for the hospital’.  A complete new wireless system had been installed in Addenbrooke’s Hospital to enable all patients to have the choice of listening to one of the two main BBC programmes, and many had commented on the pleasure they have received from it.

The appeal was so successful that they could also install wireless facilities in all the United Cambridge Hospitals as well as a television set for the Home of Recovery, and five TV sets for the use of staff.

In 1954 the first hospital programme production was started by the charity TocH. Football commentaries recorded at local games were broadcast to the wards. It was at this point that the name Radio Addenbrooke’s was first used.

Don Hale was the football commentator with the station and continues to broadcast for over 20 years.

Today Radio Addenbrooke’s has a a team of volunteers and broadcasts every evening and some afternoons and every bed has its own TV screen.