The new star of radio - Huntley & Palmer Ward

Huntley and Palmer Ward in the Royal Berkshire Hospital was turned into a radio studio after TV and radio personality Anne Diamond decided to adopt the Renal Unit for a special series of programmes.

For the next few months the patients and the staff will be regular guests on Anne’s mid morning Radio Berkshire programme as part of a pioneering link between the Trust and the BBC.

The plan is to highlight the work carried out in the ward where renal patients visit three times a week for the vital dialysis treatment – each taking around four hours to complete.

To launch the link, Anne took her whole programme to the ward for a three-hour outside broadcast. But before the red light went on to indicate a live microphone, there were hours of frenzied work as the station’s engineer wheeled in and assembled the equipment to turn the department into a radio studio.

First on air was matron Leo Bailey who explained the work carried out in the unit – then it was the turn of the patients to tell listeners what it means to need dialysis.

Former consultant surgeon and now curator of the medical museum, David Goodwin, popped in to tell Anne and her thousands of listeners about some of the fascinating exhibits which visitors to the hospital heritage centre can see.

Ida Rosaire

But even seasoned professional interviewer Anne Diamond was stopped in her tracks when 91 year old patient Ida Rosaire produced a framed photograph of herself as a 19-year-old – posed with her head inside an elephant’s mouth!

Ida went on to give listeners a flavour of her remarkable life which included working as a trapeze artist in the circus owned by her parents.

Over the next few months Ida along with many of her fellow patients as well as staff in the Renal Department will give regular updates on the Anne Diamond Show. More...