A speech and language therapist says she is ‘delighted’ to have been awarded a pre-doctoral fellowship she hopes will put Bolton ‘on the map.’

The National Institute of Health Research Pre-Doctoral Fellowship was awarded to Sophie Chalmers, who works at Lever Chambers Centre for Health.

It will allow her the funding, time and mentorship to develop a future PhD application and she will up also set up a Speech and Language Therapy Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) group

Ms Chalmers said: “NIHR fellowships for allied health professionals are notoriously competitive so I am delighted to be one of a few selected applicants across Greater Manchester.

“Holding an NIHR fellowship as a clinician puts Bolton allied health professional research on the map and shows our growing research culture and capacity.”

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust says the PPIE will be essential for patients to tell healthcare professionals what they want from services, and in this case how they want to be educated about their condition.

Divisional Head of Therapies Elaine Chesworth said: “Not only is this brilliant for Sophie, but for us as a Trust it aligns with our vision for the future to improve clinical services for our patients and lead in innovation and research.”