I am writing in response to Phil Shepherdson (Letters, November 28). I would like to clarify several points.

York Hospital Radio does provide a free service to the patients of York Hospital without the need for any costs to be incurred.

Once patients have registered to use the system, which can be completed relatively quickly, they have access to a free station 24 hours a day for the duration of their stay in hospital.

The system within York Hospital allows our station to be heard at every bedside and the quality of the equipment is a vast improvement on what was available in the past. Our dedicated team of volunteers works tirelessly to assist patients to register on the system and encourages them to only use the radio button, which defaults to our station.

The criticisms raised in the letter by Mr Shepherdson made our members feel their promotion of York Hospital Radio as a free radio station was inaccurate, which is completely incorrect.

Ian Clennan,

Chairman,

York Hospital Radio,

York Hospital.

Updated: 10:25 Tuesday, December 06, 2005