PCDS Newsletter: Cast your vote

The Primary Care Diabetes Society (PCDS) has played an active role in the improvement of the care of people with diabetes. Members of the Society receive our journal Diabetes & Primary Care which is widely read by practitioners with an interest in diabetes throughout the UK. The Society has held three national conferences and will be holding a Scottish conference later this year, as well as its fourth national conference in November.

Members of the PCDS were elected at the inaugural 2005 national conference. It was agreed at that time that a re-election would take place 3 years later. A few existing committee members have changed roles and commitments, thus creating vacancies; and four PCDS members have put themselves forward for election. As a PCDS member, now is your time to vote and impact the direction of the society to ensure that diabetes care continues to improve.

The voting form can be found on page 251 of the journal. Please choose SIX people who you would like to vote for and place a cross in the box next to their name. The SIX people with the most votes will fill the vacancies.

Primary Care Diabetes Society committee.

Pam Brown
GP Principal, Swansea
I have worked in Swansea for a quarter of a century. Throughout that time I have been interested in diabetes, obesity and cardiometabolic disease. Together with our highly skilled practice and district nursing teams, I help deliver part of our practice’s diabetes service.

Having completed an MSc in Nutritional Medicine from the University of Surrey, and a Diploma in Sport and Exercise Medicine from Cardiff University, I have become more passionate about nutrition and lifestyle counselling in chronic disease prevention and treatment. I work with our ‘exercise on prescription’ scheme and regularly use lifestyle prescriptions and coaching at consultations.

I have and wil continue to write about diabetes, obesity and nutrition for GPs and the public, and have run diabetes and cardiometabolic disease workshops in the UK and the US. As a PCDS member since its early days, I would welcome the opportunity for greater involvement in the Society’s work.

Judy Downey
Diabetes Educator, Berkshire
I have worked in the field of diabetes for 15 years. In that time my passion for diabetes has continued to grow! I have also worked for Warwick Diabetes Care as an Education Facilitator. I believe that the education of healthcare professionals is paramount in the provision of top-quality diabetes services.

Insulin initiation programmes, resulting in the vast majority of insulin starts happening in primary care, are run regularly, with on-site support being key to the success of the programme. I am involved in education programmes both for medical staff and for at-risk individuals and have provided the Warwick Certificate in Diabetes Care six times for my PCT. I am currently leading on provision of education for those at high risk of CVD and their families – including many people with diabetes. I have acted as Chair for the National Diabetes Facilitators Group for the past 2 years, and have been invited to join the Nurses Forum linked with Diabetes UK. I have also worked on diabetes facilitators’ competencies for Skills for Health.

I believe I can use this experience, coupled with my passion for improving primary care diabetes services, to achieve PCDS goals.

Paul Downie
GP Principal, Ross-on-Wye
I am a GP Principal working at Alton Street Surgery, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, where I have been for the last 18 months. I qualified from the University of Leicester in 2001.

I am hugely enthusiastic about further improving the care of people with diabetes. We will all be faced with managing increasing numbers of people with diabetes over the next few years, and I am keen to further improve my own and the overall management of diabetes care in general practice. I believe that prevention is a key factor and I would like to see and be more involved in the prevention of diabetes in the first instance

I am shortly due to complete the Warwick Certificate in Diabetes Care. I sit on my local diabetes commissioning group, am due to start as a hospital clinical assistant in diabetes and endocrinology shortly and have done much to further the care of patients with diabetes in my current practice over the last year or so.

I hope my enthusiasm in this field will speak volumes in my standing to become a PCDS committee member.

Thelma Gardiner
Diabetic Nurse Advisor, 
AshfieldIn2Focus
I work with professional healthcare education and accreditation towards intensive management in type 2 diabetes. I am passionate about chronic disease prevention and treating diabetes effectively.

I have 5 years of practice nurse and DSN experience; working in general practice, nurse-led diabetes clinics, and intermediate care in the PCT.

I have completed a BSc (Hons) in Primary Care, as well as the Warwick Certificate in Diabetes Care. I am a DESMOND and Insulin for Life trainer.

I have had articles concerning diabetes published in various newsletters and magazines, and have run several workshops relating to diabetes. The opportunity to be involved in the Primary Care Diabetes Society’s work as a nurse from the private sector could be a positive step in the future of diabetes care in the UK.

Debbie Hicks
Nurse Consultant – Diabetes, Enfield
I have been a diabetes specialist nurse (DSN) since 1990. I developed the Diabetes Nursing Service in Hull from being a lone practitioner to leading a team of eight DSNs. I moved south to take up the post of Nurse Consultant – Diabetes with Enfield Primary Care Trust in North London in 2005. I have led the redesign process by which diabetes care is now delivered in the PCT. We pride ourselves on having strong links with the acute care providers in our area.

I believe I can bring another dimension to the committee of PCDS as I work in an intermediate care setting providing care for a wide range of people with diabetes. I am highly committed to diabetes care wherever it is provided.

I have authored over 40 publications, both nationally and internationally. I enjoy sharing good practice, and have been fortunate to present papers around the UK, New Zealand, Southern Ireland, Switzerland and the US. I am also the Editor of the Journal of Diabetes Nursing.

Claire Holt
Practice Nurse, Coventry
Diabetes is my passion. I am a practice nurse and diabetes lead in an 11000-patient practice in Coventry, and diabetes research lead in the practice for the Diabetes Research Network. My aim is to improve the lives of those with diabetes and their families both in my practice and nationally by promoting good practice, developing clinical guidelines, and involvement in research as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Currently I am working towards an MSc in Health Science (Diabetes) at the University of Warwick as I believe that life-long learning plays a vital role in broadening my knowledge and delivering evidence-based care.

As an existing committee member of the Primary Care Diabetes Society I am able to be part of a team which works to improve education and development in the field of diabetes, and as a member of the new research and education sub-committee will be able to contribute further.

Brian Karet
GPSI in Diabetes, Bradford
Diabetes is a serious condition, and promoting the delivery of high-quality community-based diabetes care to people with diabetes is what the PCDS is all about.

For the last 3 years, I have been part of the team which has succeeded in raising the profile of all the various professionals involved in diabetes care to a new level. I have helped construct the Diabetes Commissioning Toolkit, as well as working with the Department of Health on the new GPSI accreditation guidelines. 

I am the Editor of the GPSI supplement in the PCDS house journal Diabetes & Primary Care, and I have also organised two GPSI conferences. I am passionate about making the best the norm.

Vote for me and I will promise to carry on this campaign.

David Millar-Jones
GPSI in Diabetes, Cwmbran
Wales needs at least one representative on the PCDS committee. Due to changing policy within the Principality and ‘no commissioning’, the politics of diabetes is different from the rest of the UK.<

I am principally a full-time GP in Cwmbran, and have established a successful intermediate care service within the locality. I am an associate specialist in diabetes and a lecturer for Cardiff Medical School. I am also an executive committee member for the Welsh Endocrine Society – whose aim is to direct the Welsh Assembly Government regarding endocrinology in Wales.

What do I stand for? Good standards of care, structure, education and support within primary care in order to be recognised as the principal arena for diabetes management. There is also a great need for the increased understanding of secondary care as to the benefits that can be offered within a community setting.

I aim to continue to promote intermediate care services and facilitate structured education.

Please note that voting has now closed. To see the winners of the PCDS elections, please see the news section of Diabetes & Primary Care Volume 10, No 6.