At its recent national conference, the Primary Care Diabetes and Obesity Society (PCDOS) celebrated the career of Su Down by presenting her with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The annual award honours an individual who has made an outstanding, long-term contribution to diabetes care.
Jane Diggle and Nicola Milne, both colleagues and friends of Su, presented the award during an emotional session at the Birmingham conference. They outlined a varied career in diabetes care that began in 1989 in South Somerset where she set about the formidable task of establishing a diabetes specialist nursing service. By 2005 she had become one of the country’s first nurse consultants. Her leadership was instrumental in redesigning diabetes services across Somerset, including the development of a pregnancy service within an acute hospital trust and innovative virtual clinics in general practice and district nursing settings.
Jane paid tribute to Su’s breadth of knowledge across the spectrum of diabetes care, noting that as well as being passionate about pregnancy care, she is also an expert on diabetes and frailty. Beyond clinical practice, Su has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Diabetes Nursing since 2018. She has authored many articles, including on managing diabetes during intercurrent illness and on strategies for simplifying insulin regimens, both of which influenced practice nationally during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nicki praised Su’s achievements as an educator and role model, highlighting her skill as a communicator: “She has taught us not only how to care for the person behind the numbers but has also inspired us to make changes in our clinical practice. Her ripple effect on diabetes care cannot be underestimated.” She also paid her the ultimate compliment, noting that when things get difficult, she often ponders: “What would Su do in this situation?”
In accepting the award, a clearly moved Su expressed her gratitude: “It’s been such an honour to impart knowledge so that people feel that they can carry on.”
You can watch highlights of the presentation below.
