February 23 Bulletin
21/02/2023
1. Save the date
Thames Valley Network meetings
16th March 2023 1.30pm – 3.30pm Network Dietitians Meeting (Oxford)
3rd May 2023 9.30-4.30pm- Joint Wessex & Thames Valley education day (Reading Holiday Inn, M4 South)
8th June 2023 9.30am – 11.30am Network Dietitians Meeting (Virtual)
10th October 1.30pm – 3.30pm Network Dietitians Meeting (Virtual)
26th September 2023 9.00-12.30pm Network Meeting (VIRTUAL)
1st week in December (date tbc) Network meeting
5th December 1.30pm – 3.30pm Network Dietitians Meeting (In person, venue tbc)
2. Conferences Dates 2023/24
Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD) Conference
22-25 Feb 23, Berlin
Register for this event here
Diabetes UK Professional Conference
26 – 28 April, Exhibition Centre Liverpool
Register for this event here
5th May, Birmingham
Register for this event here
American Diabetes Association 83rd Scientific Session
23 -26 Jun 23, San Diego, California
Register for this event here
European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting
3 – 6 Oct 2023, Hamburg
Registration is not yet open
18 – 21 October 2023, Rotterdam
Registration not yet open
8-10 November, Manchester
Registration not yet open
Diabetes Professional Care Conference
15 – 16 November 2023, Olympia London
Registration not yet open
3. Staff Education
Diabetes UK
The Diabetes UK website have an excellent summary of all available postgraduate courses.
Technology
Technology comparison guides are now available in the healthcare professionals section of the National Children & Young People’s Diabetes Network website- click here.
Transition nursing conference
The Burdett National Transition Nursing Network are delighted to announce that they will be hosting an end of project conference on 8 March 2023. This will celebrate successes and pave the way for future work. The hybrid event will run from 10am – 4:30 pm is free of charge and open to anyone with an interest in healthcare transition and care of young people. Find more information here
4. Staff Information and Opportunities
Thames Valley Parents Peer Support
We would like to set up a working group across Thames Valley, to look at how we can set up peer support for families. Ideally, all units would be represented in the group but we will start with whoever is interested so that we can look at piloting initiatives- please contact Myfi if you would like to be part of this working group.
National peer support survey
If you haven’t done so already, please could all units complete a survey that has been put together by the National Leaders in Family Peer Support for Diabetes group? It seeks to understand existing peer support provision, to inform plans to develop a programme of peer support for families. You can access the survey here
DUK Youth Coordinator
At the February Network Meeting we learned about the DUK ‘Our Lives, Our Choices, Our Voices’ programme, which is seeking to develop peer support relationships for young people, as well as empowering them to influence change in diabetes care. There are two DUK youth coordinators that you can contact if you want to find out more about how you can link young people in your service up with the programme; contact Adam.mayze@diabetes.org.uk (Milton Keynes) or Aled.newton@diabetes.org.uk (all other units) for more information.
Focus Groups
We are keen to try a new way of engaging with a wider range of parent carers, with themed ‘focus groups’ that we can invite all parents to join, so that we can have some detailed discussion about specific areas in order to co-produce service developments & direction. Are there any areas that you would like to better understand parent’s experience of or thoughts on? We are asking for units to put forward topic ideas. So far, a Type2 focus group has been suggested but if you would like to suggest others, please email Myfanwy.Champness@ouh.nhs.uk
Survey to understand numbers of pre-clinical Type 1 children & young people
Consultants and non-training grade doctors are asked to respond to a survey that aims to better understand number of CYP who are pre-clinical Type 1. If you have not already done so, please complete here: https://cardiff.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/pre-clinical-type-1diabetes
Access to CGM guidelines across BOB ICS
Following the appointment of a CYP Long Term Conditions Lead, we are currently working alongside BOB ICS to develop clinical guidelines for use of CGM, along with an associated business case. Units who sit within the BOB footprint have been invited to participate in a technology working group, and have been asked for data on current CGM usage. We look forward to creating a more equitable access across the area, and will keep you updated on progress.
5. CYP, Parents and Carers Information and Events
JDRF Discovery Day
JDRF are holding a type 1 information event in London on Saturday 25 February (10am – 15:30pm).
This is an opportunity for families to learn about the latest developments in type 1 research, hear from speakers knowledgeable about type 1 and meet other people and families living with the condition. It’s a family-friendly event, open to adults and children affected by type 1 along with health care professionals. There will be entertainment provided for primary school children that will run alongside the speaker sessions as well as peer support sessions for teenagers and young adults.
Thames Valley network family day
You may be aware that we recently sent a poster out to units to share with families, to help us understand levels of interest in a network family day. We have already received a number of responses, so thank you for your efforts to spread the word. If you would like to download the poster you can find it on the Thames Valley Network website.
DRWF Family Camp
Free 2 night residential camp for CYP with Type 1 diabetes and their families
18 – 20 August 2023
Find out more here
Thank you for taking the time to read through this bulletin. Please do let me know if you have news items that you would like to share across the Network for future editions.
Best wishes
Myfi