NNUH patients celebrate 1,200 years of success

More than 1,200 years of successful diabetes management were recognised and celebrated by patients with diabetes at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Wednesday 1st April.

24 patients who have successfully managed their diabetes for at least 50 or 60 years were presented with a medal at an invitation only event for the patients of the Elsie Bertram Diabetes Centre.

The Elsie Bertram Diabetes Centre has annually celebrated and marked the achievement of patients who have had diabetes and successfully managed the condition for more than 50, 60 or 70 years but the 2015 ceremony will be NNUH’s largest to date.

Dr Dhatariya, NNUH Diabetes and Endocrinology Consultant Physician said: “Medals are usually sent through the post direct to the patients from Diabetes UK but we wanted to recognise the remarkable accomplishment of reaching the milestone of 50, 60 or 70 years successfully as a patient with diabetes in person. It is great to meet them all personally, in one room, and to celebrate this this achievement together. To put this in perspective, collectively the guests would have had to administer somewhere in the region of 1,445,400 injections throughout their lives – a significant lifestyle change to manage.”

Different medals were awarded dependent on the achievements and each patient received a short biography of the person after whom their medal was named.

Notes to editors

The medals are:

The Alan Nabarro medal. This medal is awarded to people who have lived with diabetes for fifty years. Alan Nabarro waged a lifelong battle against discrimination against people with diabetes. In 1968 he was awarded the OBE for his work with young people in London.

The Robert Lawrence medal. This medal is awarded to people who have lived with diabetes for sixty years. Dr Robert Lawrence co-founded the Diabetic Association, now known as Diabetes UK, with H.G. Wells in 1934.

The McLeod medal. This medal is awarded to people who have lived with diabetes for seventy years. John Macleod was awarded half of the Nobel Prize for the discovery of insulin. Diabetes UK’s Central Offices are named in honour of Macleod’s great work and dedication to diabetes.