My Diabetes My Way: August 2026 update


Welcome to the My Diabetes My Way newsletter for August 2026.


Leaving for College or University
With national exam results having been released, many young people will be getting prepared to leave home and go to college or university. Leaving home means being solely responsible for your diabetes care and ensuring that you know how to access medical care in your new location. It can be a worrying time for both young people and their families. One of the first things to do is to register with a GP surgery at your new address. This can often be a university health centre. It can be difficult to tell new friends or flatmates that you have diabetes, but it is really important that they know and, if possible, how to treat a hypo or to get medical help for you in an emergency. More information can be found in the University Toolkit:
https://breakthrought1d.org.uk/knowledge-support/living-with-type-1-diabetes/university-toolkit/university-toolkit-accessing-gp-and-specialist-care/


Infectious Diseases
Living away from home amongst your peer group can mean that infectious diseases can easily spread. Vaccination is an important part of preventing disease and after the recent outbreaks of Meningitis B at universities in England, it is highly advisable for students to get this vaccination before leaving home to study. The Scottish Government has a rolling programme for this vaccine which started in July 2026 and gives each person 2 doses of the vaccine for full protection. More information on how to access this vaccine is available at the link below:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/menb-youngpeople


Eating Well
Eating well balanced meals regularly can be a challenge but is very important in keeping your blood sugar stable. Fast food is fine for occasional meals but learn how to make some balanced meals before leaving home. There is more information in the following links:

 

Lifestyle Advice
Living away from home is an exciting part of a young person’s life and the chance to try new experiences is a vital part of growing up. However, it can be easy to be swept along with the crowd to try things that are not quite so good for you. Smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs can have a significant effect on blood sugar. You will find more information in the links below:


Tattoos
Getting a tattoo is possible for people with diabetes but you should use a reputable shop or tattoo artist to avoid increasing infection risk. Your blood sugar should be under good control. Cosmetic surgery such as lip and cheek fillers can also increase your infection risk. Again, your blood sugar should be under good control. There is more information at the links below:


Update to DVLA Guidelines
The guidance from the DVLA about the use of continuous glucose monitoring such as Libre or Dexcom sensors whilst driving has been updated. This change affects people who drive for a living such as lorry or bus drivers. The change is that they may now use sensors and use these to check blood sugars whilst working. This brings them into line with car drivers. Although everyone can now use sensors, they must also carry their blood sugar meter so that sugar can be checked if there are any symptoms of a hypo, or they feel different from normal, no matter what the sensor reads. Remember your sugar must be at least 5mmol/l before you drive. There is a link to this new information here:
https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/resources/internal/driving/


Upload Your LibreView Data
Following your feedback, we have now added a new feature where you can upload your LibreView data to sit alongside your diabetes records on My Diabetes My Way. When you do this, you will see a new report named “Estimated Glucose Values”, which can be found in the “My Reports” –> “My Data Trends” section.
If you use LibreView and would like to upload your data to the system, please see the guide below:
https://patient.mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/Guides/libre%20upload%20instructions.pdf


Cardiovascular Disease Courses
We now have 6 new online mini modules to support the management of cardiovascular disease on our eLearning site. They have lots of information on different types of cardiovascular disease, such as stroke, circulation problems in your legs and heart failure. You can find these new modules, alongside all our courses to support the management of diabetes, here:

We are aiming to have a new online course on Foot Care later in the year and we would love your feedback on this, or any of our online courses. Please send us any comments by replying to this email.


Facebook, X and Bluesky
Please remember, you can keep up-to-date with the latest news and useful information on the My Diabetes My Way Facebook, X and Bluesky pages.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mydiabetesmyway
X (formerly Twitter): https://www.twitter.com/mydiabetesmyway
Bluesky: @mydiabetesmyway.bsky.social‬


Help and Support
If you have not yet managed to gain access to your diabetes records on My Diabetes My Way, or would like an update on the status of your registration, please let us know. You can contact us regarding any problems or request further help and support by emailing: mydiabetes.myway@nhs.scot

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