Letter from the Chair (November 2009)

Published: 04 November 2009

There are people to thank and work to be done says Mags Bannister, as she looks to the future of the forum after a year of change.

As 2009 comes to an end, it's all change on the Diabetes Nursing Forum committee. For the last two years, the RCN has been undergoing a major review of their forum structure and clinical governance arrangements, and although the Diabetes Nursing Forum is not merging with any other forums, the bidding process for forum work has changed. Also, any member co-opted onto the committee will have to participate in our upcoming elections. This means that as I write this letter, the only person guaranteed to be on the committee when our January meeting takes place is Keith Booles.

A little history

In 2004, Jill Hill, Gayle Richards and I were approached on behalf of the RCN committee to consider being co-opted onto the committee, as its survival was under threat due to the shortage of volunteers to join the committee and the remaining committee members being due to complete their allowed eight year terms within a few years. Thankfully, all three of us agreed and the forum committee was returned to a full strength of seven. By 2007, only the three of us remained but we were joined by two elected (Keith and Margaret Stubbs) and two co-opted (Rosin Wright and Patricia Clawson) members in the summer of that year. 

Jill and Gayle have decided not to stand for election. Personally, I'm very sorry to see Jill and Gayle go as it has been a pleasure and great fun to work with them. Both have taken key roles in the forum's work and will be hard acts to follow. Jill has been editor of DiaBites for the majority of her time on the committee and has produced several very informative newsletters. Gayle has co-ordinated the last two educational projects delivered by the forum: our conference in Bristol in 2005 and the two interactive study days in 2007, all of which evaluated extremely well and ran like clockwork. In addition, Gayle has been our press correspondent, submitting regular columns to the diabetes press updating the wider diabetes world on the forum's work. Jill and Gayle, thank you very much on behalf of the forum for your time, effort and enthusiasm over the last five years; you will be missed.

Margaret and Patricia have both resigned from the committee in the last few weeks. Their time on the committee may have been shorter, but both have contributed hugely and have been actively involved in the forum's current pieces of work (the nursing and residential home and prison projects) and have given the committee vital representation from a practice nurse and Northern Ireland perspective. Thank you and good luck to you both.

Looking ahead

So what of the forum's future? Hopefully, you will all vote in the upcoming elections. Six RCN members are standing in the elections and if the election statements submitted are anything to go by, the future of the forum looks to be in safe hands whoever is elected. Click here to read about the elections and the candidates' statements. If this is my last letter to you as Forum Chair, I am confident that when I read the summer 2010 newsletter, it will contain positive information relating to the future direction of the forum.

Being a member of the forum committee is often hard work, but the passion and enthusiasm of the committee members and the potential to have a positive impact on diabetes care across the United Kingdom is what makes participating worthwhile.