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Roz Bradshaw, Head of Improving Population Health Programme, reflects on the highs and lows of living with diabetes and the importance of being seen, valued and cared for

Posted on: 15 June 2025

Roz BradshawThis week (9-15 June 2025), I want to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate Diabetes Awareness Week. I feel I hold a unique position - having lived with type 1 diabetes for 24 years. I am now also Head of Improving Population Health, where I lead the work on long-term conditions, including diabetes, as part of my portfolio.

Living with type 1 diabetes is a unique life experience. It’s not a condition you can simply ignore - it demands daily attention and engagement. People with diabetes quickly come to understand that without active management, you can become very unwell, very quickly. Ironically, ignoring the condition can make you feel much more ‘diseased’ than facing it head-on.

Diabetes and technology

Technological advancements have revolutionised how we manage diabetes today. It used to be much easier to keep the condition hidden, but wearable tech - such as glucose sensors and insulin pumps - offer more flexibility and freedom. Of course, this also means increased visibility and devices that beep loudly, or flash alerts (often in the most inconvenient moments) meaning you are not always discreet.

Your late teens and early twenties are not an easy period at the best of times. I wore embarrassment and shame like a cloak, not wanting to cause a fuss, look weak or ask for anything that would look like I wasn’t coping perfectly. I preferred to keep my condition quiet.

I was forced to address this need to hide my condition head on when I had the opportunity to trial the wearable sensors in 2018. I later added a sleek new insulin pump which I wore on my arm - this drew a lot of attention, which was my worst nightmare, but people’s curiosity helped desensitise me. Over time I grew more open.

Close friends and support

During a period when managing my blood sugars became especially difficult, I was forced to accept there were times I would need help from my close friends if I wanted to make it to the end of my 30s intact and alive. I had to acknowledge that I may not always be able to save my own life, and this was a challenge psychologically for a very independent and strong-willed person.

The support I received from my close friends at this time allowed me to shift my mindset. I finally learnt that living with a chronic disease is not something that takes away from you or defines you but can be an emblem of strength. This does not mean you have to be the first up every mountain or win awards for being extraordinary, but by showing up and living your life in the way you want shows great resilience. There can be difficult moments living with diabetes. I understand now that being open with friends, colleagues and those around you doesn’t burden others, but allows you to be supported in moments of need. Humans are inherently wired to want good outcomes for others and should be given the opportunity to be able to show up when it’s needed.

Memorable moments

Looking back, there have been moments of humour too. Over the years, my friends and I have laughed at the absurdity of it all, which helps lighten the darker moments. A few memorable highlights from my 24-year journey:

  • getting kicked out of a restaurant in Barcelona when I was 17 for 'taking drugs' (I was injecting insulin)
  • heading off to South Africa aged 18, only to have all my insulin stolen - my poor mum had to navigate international insulin logistics
  • being mistaken for being under the influence in a supermarket because my sugars were low and I was staggering and swigging orange juice which I hadn’t paid for 
  • getting held at New York airport on suspicion of drug smuggling - because of all the supplies I was carrying
  • accidentally triggering an office floor evacuation when my continuous glucose monitor alarm went off loudly
  • causing chaos in a polling station while hypo - my friend desperately searched me for sweets and voting was suspended as we were conversing inside which was against polling station rules. They still remember us
  • waking up to find a panicked friend bursting into my bedroom at 2am who was alarmed by a low blood sugar alert she saw on her phone. It was lovely of her, but she very nearly got whacked with a baseball bat!

This is the first time in my career I’ve intentionally moved closer to chronic disease professionally. Earlier in my career, I worked away from diabetes - I didn’t want it to take up any more space in my life. But in a previous public health role, I worked to bring healthcare into schools for children with long-term conditions and saw firsthand the difference it made. That work shaped my decision to take on my current role, where I’m proud to lead on this agenda.

Tackling inequalities

I’m acutely aware of the privilege I have. I’m fortunate to access wearable technology, to navigate the healthcare system, and to be heard. But stark inequalities still exist - from diagnosis to care, digital access, and the strength of the patient voice. In the Improving Population Health team, we are committed to closing these gaps. I am proud to be leading this team in something that is close to my heart personally as well as professionally.

Recently, someone close to me asked detailed and thoughtful questions about what it feels like to experience high and low blood sugars, and how they could help. It meant the world to be seen and understood like that, I felt valued and cared for.

So, my message to everyone who is reading this is: Take the time to ask your diabetic friend, colleague, or loved one what it’s like for them. Ask what they need in the tough moments, so they don’t have to raise it themselves. That simple act of understanding can make all the difference.

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