Su Down is a Nurse Consultant in Diabetes and is the Clinical Lead for the Intermediate Diabetes community service in Somerset. Her Diabetes nursing career started in 1989, when she set up the diabetes specialist nursing service in Yeovil District Hospital. Su took up the role of Nurse Consultant in 2005 and played a key part in redesigning the diabetes service across the whole of Somerset. She continues to work tirelessly to evolve and improve this service to cope with the growing demands of the health care economy.
Nationally she is the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Diabetes Nursing and joint Vice Chair of the PCDS (Primary Care Diabetes Society). Former national roles have included being a TREND associate, board member of FIT (Forum for Injection Technique) and committee member of the Health Care Professionals Council of Diabetes UK.
She has published on topics including the challenges of redesigning services, the importance of injection technique in diabetes, future challenges for DSN services and the importance of empowerment. She has won a national award (2013) for work relating to FIT4Safety.
The constant challenge of ensuring that an equitable service is delivered to the ever-growing population of Somerset is one that Su finds highly rewarding. Furthermore, she has relished being able to have an influence on both national and international projects.
