This is our flagship event and consistently receives excellent feedback from delegates. Specialist trainees from all over the country meet the day prior to the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference for a series of plenary lectures and workshops given by the most eminent leaders in the field of diabetes. Previous speakers include Dr Gerry Rayman, Prof Andrew Boulton and Prof Naveed Sattar. Apart from providing the event free-of-cost to our delegates (including an evening meal for a chance to network), we also aim to provide them with registration for the duration of the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference and on occasions bursaries towards the cost of accommodation and travel.

The YDEF Diabetes-related food course is designed to cover key aspects of modern management of diabetes-related foot disease, the course features sessions from nationally and internationally recognised speakers.  

The Maternal Medicine course is organised with the JRCPTB Endocrinology and Diabetes curriculum in mind, given trainees may have variable experience and opportunity to attend medical antenatal clinics.  Sessions include diabetes technology and hybrid closed loop (HCL) systems in pregnancy, challenges in managing type 1 diabetes in pregnancy and evidence for HCL during and after pregnancy. Other sessions cover physical activity in pregnant women with diabetes, thyroid disease in pregnancy and pituitary disease in pregnancy. The course includes practical tips from cases, tailored for Diabetes & Endocrinology registrars.

The IMT webinars are designed especially for early-career doctors yet to begin specialist training in D&E.

An typical example of our IMT webinars series includes:

The first session addressed inpatient diabetes care, with Dr Sofia Salahuddin and DSN Katie Hards providing expert guidance on scenarios ranging from euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis and DKA in renal failure to insulin titration and managing diabetes technology in hospital settings. The second session shifted the focus to outpatient care, where Prof Sri Bellary discussed diabetes-related kidney disease, Dr Rebecca Scott explored diabetes in pregnancy, and Dr Prash Vas covered diabetic foot. The series concluded with Professor Miles Levy delivering an inspiring reflection on life as an endocrinologist, followed by Dr Angelica Sharma’s practical run-down on endocrinology essentials for PACES (our pre-speciality exam). Feedback was extremely positive, with attendees highlighting the clinical relevance and valuable exposure to outpatient D&E, which is something resident doctors often getlimited exposure to during pre-speciality training.

The YDEF ABC of Diabetes and Endocrinology is designed for first and second year specialist trainees to provide an expert grounding in core diabetes and endocrine topics through a series of plenaries, workshops and case-based discussions. The interactive programme will also facilitate national networking with fellow trainees early in their specialty careers and enable them to meet leading experts within a friendly environment.

The NICE guidelines for Type 1 Diabetes show that up to 15% of patients are potentially eligible for insulin pump therapy. Current UK usage is around 2-3%, making it difficult for trainees to access appropriate training as many centers do not have access to this technology. In response to this the YDEF have established the national YDEF insulin pump course, now in its fourth year. It is delivered by leaders in the field including Professor Stephanie Amiel and Dr Pratik Choudhary of King’s College London.

As healthcare issues are devolved to individual nations, policies and priorities continue to evolve in a trajectory not always identical to its counterparts in other parts of the UK. Diabetes is one such area where approaches from screening for complications to organisation of care are unique. Established in partnership with diabetes specialist training committees and clinical leads, these events provide educational and networking opportunities for trainees and young consultants in Wales and Northern Ireland.

NEYD is a joint meeting between the trainee wings of the UK, the Netherlands and Denmark. It is a friendly and in depth meeting that allows trainees that are contemplating, or starting out in their research careers to meet their peers from Northern Europe. It provides an opportunity for young diabetes researchers to present their research (including research in progress) to peers from other North European countries.