My Second Diabetes UK Professional Conference
I was fortunate to be selected by #dedoc° to attend the Diabetes UK Professional Care Conference for the second year running. This year, this expert-led event from the UK’s leading diabetes charity was held at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, Scotland, on February 26 to 28, 2025.
Last Year
At last year's conference in London, it was suggested that I write an article to be published in the BMJ. This resulted in the publication of my piece ‘Quality care is needed for older people with diabetes in care homes—now and for the future’ in November 2024. Which was received well.
Continued Work
This year, I returned with the aim of continuing my advocacy for ‘older people with diabetes’ as there is an urgent need for improvement in carers’ basic diabetes management skills in the residential care home setting. Unfortunately, at present this is severely lacking.
With that in mind, I spent most of my time during this 3-day conference networking with health care professionals and diabetes charities. This led to many conversations being started and emails sent to try to get compulsory training for carers of older people in care homes.
I was advised that other work - started the year before by Breakthrough T1D UK - had resulted in some exciting market research. It was there that I was asked to speak during the June public announcement of these results.
Fortunately, during the conference, I managed to attend a number of excellent lectures, including an interesting session entitled ‘Modern approaches to diabetes care in older adults’ and on pathophysiology, which is complex due to age-related changes in metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Using diabetes technology could help, but take-up is small in older years. Also, I saw our excellent ‘voices’ speaking at the #dedoc° symposium. Which is available to watch on YouTube.
Outcome and Future Plans
Since returning home, emails have flowed and meetings have taken place, culminating on 17 June with me speaking at the ‘Royal College of Physicians London’ during the launch of the Breakthrough T1D UK report 'Facing the future - Ageing with type 1 diabetes and the need for change'. Work continues to bring the detail in this report to fruition.
“Recently I met with Members of Parliament at an ‘All Party Parliamentary Group’ meeting in Westminster. On this occasion I managed to mention the fact that T1D globally will double in the next 15 years, that's possibly an extra 17.4 million type 1s. The MPs had no idea!”
My advocacy for older people with diabetes continues.
Written by: Martin Scivier
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