The future of hospital radio in Birmingham has been safeguarded on the eve of its 60^th anniversary after University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) agreed to house its studios in an old operating theatre.

Birmingham Hospital Broadcasting Network (BHBN), which has been delivering a mix of music and sports coverage to patients since 1952, has been operating from a building at City Hospital since 1989 but is now having to move out after the lease expired.

However, UHB has responded to a plea from BHBN by providing part of one of its theatres in the old Queen Elizabeth (QE) Hospital. Work to soundproof the walls will now be carried out, with the radio station due to start broadcasting some time in June.

Birmingham’s hospital radio, which helped launch the careers of National Lottery and Strictly Come Dancing narrator Alan Dedicoat and BBC WM’s Phil Upton, is manned by around 40 volunteer staff.

Director and technical controller David Horton said: “We are currently in one of the outlying buildings at City Hospital, but we had a call recently to say a decision had been taken to close the building.

“An approach was made to UHB and they have been absolutely wonderful by offering us a theatre which was available in the old hospital.

“We are extremely grateful to the hospital for enabling us to carry on, especially as we are celebrating 60 years of broadcasting this year.”

The two studios will move separately to their new home in Edgbaston in order to maintain continuous broadcasting. As well as the studios, the old theatre will accommodate BHBN’s collection of around 10,000 vinyl records.

Lynne Darby, Land and Property Manager at the Trust, said the registered charity has been offered premises at the old QE on a rent-free basis, paying only for services such as electricity and water.

She said: “Hospital radio has been broadcasting from City Hospital for more than 20 years but is now seeking alternative premises as the building it is in is closing.

“As its name suggests, this is a Birmingham-based charity and is therefore keen to stay in the city, so we are offering them one of the former theatres in the old Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which has been empty since the winter of 2010/11.”