The group again attended the Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trusts Diabetes Community Conference on the 27 January, held at the Hatherly Manor Hotel. The conference was aimed at healthcare professionals from around the county who have an interest in diabetes treatment and care. We set up a stand to promote the Group amongst those attending.

Mike Broome and Mike Coombs attended on a rather damp & chilly day. Also present again this year was Geoff Davies, the Treasurer of the Forest of Dean Diabetes UK Group. Most of the other stands were either from NHS diabetes related medical services, or manufactures and suppliers of diabetes equipment and medicines.

The day proved very successful with a large number of delegates coming to speak to us and find out more of what we do and how we can help those with diabetes. It was good to talk to so many medical staff from around the county, with a two different people enquiring on how to set up a support group, they were directed to contact Diabetes UK for all the info. As they were from surgeries out in the Cotswolds this was good to hear as there are no groups in that part of the county, I hope they follow it up.

It was good to see Geoff again and compare how the two Groups are getting on and it would appear much the same as we were last year! In particular the problem of recruiting and retaining new members to the Groups. It was also interesting looking at the commercial stands to see the latest developments in diabetes care technologies.

Hopefully we raised the Groups profile with the many medical staff attending. I would like to thank Gail Pasquall from the Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust for inviting us to attend.