The Newborn Hearing Screening Service within the Audiology Department at Noble’s Hospital has received some very welcome funding from the Trustees of the Henry Bloom Noble Healthcare Trust, enabling them to purchase new Hearing Screening Equipment for newborn babies. The Department of Health is pleased to advise that, as a direct result of the new equipment acquisition, the Island’s universal Newborn Hearing Screening Service was re-structured, and the remodelled service using the new equipment has now gone live. There are three clinics per week, with the Department endeavouring to test every newborn baby within four weeks of birth. Since going live, in excess of 300 babies have been tested and a small number of children with potential hearing loss have been identified. Those babies who have been identified can then be given help at the very earliest possible stage. It is for this reason that parents are urged to attend the Newborn Hearing Screening Clinics to have their babies screened, or to contact the Service if they are unable to do so. Stephen Griffiths, Head of Audiology, said ”The equipment is very well utilised and given that we are already identifying potentially deaf babies, there can be absolutely no doubt as to how much the equipment benefits the Island’s population. On behalf of the team here and every baby who is given a better start in life due to this equipment, the Audiology Department would like to express its gratitude to the Trustees for the purchase. The procedure itself is very quick and non-invasive; all we do is place a small tip from the new equipment into the baby’s ear which plays a clicking sound. If the baby has normal hearing, the equipment then registers an echo from the inner ear in response to the sound played. The test normally only takes a few seconds for each ear, so provided the baby is asleep (preferably having been fed beforehand) it normally doesn’t wake them. Obviously, sometimes we don’t get the response we need which can be due to several reasons, including hearing loss; this will mean a second more in-depth test and possibly a further appointment with the children’s Audiology team. Parents report that they are pleasantly surprised at how quick the test is with many fascinated by the equipment itself.” Chair of the Trustees of the Henry Bloom Noble Healthcare Trust Mr Laurence Keenan, said “The Trustees are very pleased to be able to provide the funds to purchase this equipment. The continued support from the Trust is only possible through donations and bequests of varying sizes, which when combined can make a real contribution to the Island's healthcare; particularly in times of restricted spending such as now. The gratitude is owed to those who have left our charity funds through bequests or through donations over the years. Without such support this essential contribution for the acquisition of new equipment would not have been possible." Stephen Griffiths finished by saying “I would just like to take the opportunity to remind everyone if you do have an appointment with the Audiology Team it is important that you attend so that clinic space is not wasted. If you are unable to attend, contact Noble’s Hospital on 650407 in good time and your appointment can be allocated to someone else. We’ll then be able to allocate another appointment for a suitable time.” - ENDS -