Drumroll please…this very week we’re witnessing a first. NHS Diabetes is staging its first national Hypo Awareness Week . The week was strategically placed to coincide with National Fishing Month, but to squeeze in before the ever popular European Bat Weekend at the end of August (honestly, these things exist, they’re on the interweb).
The idea is to raise awareness amongst healthcare professionals working in secondary care who may stumble across a sweating, incoherent, pale faced diabetic wandering round a hospital and not know what to do with it. They’ll also be encouraged to keep a fully stocked hypo kit on wards, so when one of us does keel over, they at least have the means nearby to sort it out.
Seems like a sensible idea to me. I just hope they get the training right, otherwise we’re going to see some great press stories about pale skinned people on hot days being wrestled to the ground and force fed fruit pastilles by over enthusiastic receptionists.
On a personal note, I feel like I would probably benefit from a more local version of the campaign for my family and friends who are sometimes a little over-aware when it comes to hypos. I’d call it “It’s not always a hypo you know”. It would gently explain that their concern is appreciated, but sometimes I’m just tired, pale, sweaty, angry, not understanding what they’re saying because they’re not explaining it clearly or simply being quiet. It isn’t always a hypo!
What would you make people more or less aware of about hypos?
16 thoughts on “National hypo awareness week”