More than 5.8m people in the UK have diabetes (c.8–9% of the population), about 90% of that number are type 2. That’s 580,000 (type 1), of which its estimated 1 in 12 people are in the construction sector. Think about it, every site must have a diabetic employee or visitor at some point.

I am a type one diabetic, and have been for 20 years. I also have no thyroid and suffer from celiac disease. These health issues are all linked to an auto immune and genetic problem, not caused through diet or lifestyle. I’ve moved through injections, pumps, blood tests, feet tests, eye tests, liver tests, kidney tests, heart monitors, blood pressure and thyroid tests and multiple tablets, you name it I’ve had it. With the additional complication of being a busy Commercial Manager working on many prestige projects (and some not so much) through the years.

I’ve woken up from cutting the grass in an A&E due to sudden blood sugar drops though walking too fast, I’ve woken up in the back of an ambulance after a severe hypo (hypoglycaemia). The worst is when I wake up from sleep feeling groggy in a cold sweat with the Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) alarms sounding that blood sugars are low whilst grappling for whatever I can find to eat or drink to raise my blood sugar. The feeling and fear of knowing you need to act fast is indescribable. For those who know me know no matter where I am I always have a can of Coke with me, and due to a recent Hypo on site, the one thing I’ve really noticed lately is, no one in our industry knows what to do when my blood sugar drops....

The mental burden we carry with us is a significant, often invisible, burden stemming from the relentless, 24/7 demands of self-managing a chronic, life-altering condition. Roughly 40% of people with diabetes report struggling with their emotional well-being after diagnosis, which can lead to severe distress, burnout, and an increased risk of mental health conditions. (People with diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to have depression)