The Tayside Diabetes Managed Clinical Network (MCN) held a conference in Perth last week bringing together experts in diabetes and health and social care staff from across the region.
Almost 200 people attended the conference at Perth Concert Hall which spanned all aspects of modern diabetes care and had a mix of key speakers and interactive workshops. It was the first since 2017 and was a welcome opportunity to focus on the challenges and progress achieved over the past few years and look forward to the future.
Dietetic consultant Dr Will Cook and programme manager Dr George Thom from NHS Tayside’s Public Health Department set out the programmes being put in place as part of the National Framework for the Prevention, Early Detection and Early Intervention of type 2 diabetes. These programmes centre around supporting weight loss as central to prevention, effective management and even remission of type 2 diabetes.
Professor of Diabetic Medicine and Honorary Consultant at NHS Tayside and University of Dundee,
Ewan Pearson talked about the ground-breaking new approach to diabetes treatment he is leading in Tayside following a £2.8m award from the Scottish Government Chief Scientists Office. The ‘intelligent Diabetes’ (iDiabetes) project will use what is called a ‘precision medicine’ approach, meaning that treatment is tailored to the exact needs of each individual patient, whatever their type of diabetes.
Dr Cameron Munro, lead clinician of Tayside Diabetes MCN, said, “This event allowed those who provide care to people with diabetes to meet with colleagues from across Tayside and hear from experts about new developments in this field. With the number of people with diabetes steadily increasing in Tayside it is important that we continue to support healthcare professional to provide high quality care.”
The Tayside Diabetes MCN conference also tied in with the theme of World Diabetes Day on 14 November – “education to protect tomorrow” – which aims to increase access to diabetes education and help improve the lives of people living with diabetes. The conference enabled local staff to learn more about diabetes, its prevention, and treatment in line with this theme.
Photograph attached: Dr Will Cook, Dr Ewan Pearson, Dr Debbie Wake, clinical lead for My Way Digital Health, Dr Vivien Swanson, professor of Health Psychology at University of Stirling and Dr Cameron Munro