‘It is the first time the island has had an Audiology Service led by a Doctoral Level Consultant Audiologist. This means that the service is on an equal footing with some of the best Audiology Services across’
Stephen Griffiths, Head of Audiology, Noble’s HospitalIn 2025 The Henry Bloom Noble HealthCare Trust approved 17 new Healthcare Education Grants valued at in excess of £65,000.
The subject matter of the courses undertaken varied from Biomedical Science, Allergies, Sedation and Advanced Clinical Practice to Psychology & Psychotherapy, Family Therapy and Counselling.
Terry Groves, chairman of the Trust, said: ‘This is an important and very rewarding element of our work. Helping young healthcare workers improve their skills and flourish is one of the fundamental tenets of our educational grants policy.’
However, as the number of applications received continues to grow and the cost of funding exceeds the proportion of its funds allocated by the Trust for this purpose, a new, more structured application process has been introduced for 2026.
With effect from January 1, 2026, all applications for courses commencing in 2026 should be submitted prior to April 30 and prior to the commencement of studies. Shortly after that date all applications received will be considered and available funding allocated. In the likely event that the value of applications exceeds the available funding, the Approvals Committee will select the successful applicants.
Applications received after 30 April will only be considered in the event that all available funding has not been allocated at that time.
Among those who have received an Education Grant from the Trust are Stephen Griffiths and James Dernie. The further training and study they undertook has been of enormous benefit to patients in the Audiology Department at Noble’s Hospital.
Stephen Griffiths, who is Head of the Audiology Department received grants for two of his post graduate qualifications, the latter being a professional Doctorate in Audiology.
He said: ‘It is the first time the island has had an Audiology Service led by a Doctoral Level Consultant Audiologist which is a growing trend in the UK. This means that the service on an equal footing with some of the best Audiology Services across (many of which are increasingly becoming led by Doctoral level clinicians). I have been able to impart some this extensive specialist knowledge to the wider team which in turn benefits our patients. This inspires confidence and high level of trust by patients.
‘From a personal perspective, it was always a career ambition to earn a Doctoral level qualification, and I am immensely grateful to the Henry Bloom Noble Healthcare Trust for providing the grant which enabled me to achieve my goal.’
Senior Audiologist, James Dernie, said: ‘The HNBNHT grant has been instrumental in supporting my Master’s studies over the past three years, allowing me to advance my hearing therapy skills and develop new clinical services for patients on the Isle of Man. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity. The process and communication throughout have been excellent.’
In Noble’s Urology Department almost 59% of the patients have prostate cancers.
Mr Milan Gurung received an Education Grant from the Trust when he undertook a further qualification which included research into optimising the use of MRI scanning to diagnose the disease.
He said: ‘With the generous support of the charity, which contributed 50% of my tuition fees, I successfully completed a two-year Master’s degree in Urology (Mch.). My academic work focused on prostate cancer the most prevalent malignancy affecting men on the island with particular emphasis on MRI availability and subsequent diagnostic pathways. This research enabled critical evaluation of current local practices and identification of areas for service improvement.
‘The knowledge and skills acquired have strengthened my clinical approach to the early investigation and management of prostate cancer, contributing to enhanced patient care locally.
‘I am sincerely grateful for the Henry Bloom Noble Healthcare Trust for their support and professional encouragement throughout this programme and special mention to Dr. Malcolm Clague who helped me through the whole process.’
*You can find further details of Henry Bloom Noble Healthcare Trust’s education grants