Why diabetes week matters to occupational therapists ...

... and why PMOS makes it personal

Diabetes UK estimates that almost 6 million people in the UK are living with diabetes – an all-time high. On top of this, an estimated 6.9 million people are at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the UK, and an estimated 1.3 million people are currently living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

With this rising impact, to mark Diabetes Week, we put a call out on RCOT Communities for anyone looking to share their experiences, research, innovations or ideas from an OT perspective.

Anneka Bond BSc, MSc is an NHS occupational therapist specialising in learning disabilities and the founder of Sensory Aurora, a specialist private practice focusing on support for those with Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS).

She is the Specialism lead – PMOS in the Long-term Conditions Network on RCOT Communities, a member of the RCOT Caribbean Writers Network and co-author of a chapter in the forthcoming 'Caribbean Perspectives on Occupational Therapy in the United Kingdom' (published in June 2026).

Striking out stigma in diabetes care

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Diabetes Week, running from 8–14 June 2026, has a striking theme this year: Striking out stigma.

As occupational therapists, we should pay close attention to the blame, judgment and shame that many people living with diabetes experience daily. 

Stigma doesn’t just affect how people feel – it has a real impact on people’s mental health, disrupts daily routines and undermines the confidence people need to manage a complex, lifelong condition. 

For those already living with additional conditions, including:

• learning disabilities
• chronic mental health difficulties
• cardiovascular disease
• hormonal and metabolic conditions (like PMOS)

… all of which can carry an increased risk of developing diabetes, the weight of that stigma can be even greater.

Stigma doesn’t just affect how people feel; it has a real impact on people’s mental health, disrupts daily routines, and undermines the confidence people need to manage a complex, lifelong condition.

Why diabetes is an occupational therapy issue

Diabetes may be invisible to some, but it touches every part of daily life for the people we work with, from monitoring blood glucose to managing fatigue, adjusting meals and navigating work and social situations.

These are occupational challenges that occupational therapists are well-placed to support. We are skilled at identifying barriers, building sustainable routines and working alongside people to develop the competencies they need to live well with long-term conditions.

These are occupational challenges that occupational therapists are well-placed to support.

Why PMOS needs more attention

This year, those of us working with people with hormonal and metabolic conditions have reason to take notice.

Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) – formerly known as PCOS – affects one in eight women and is characterised by hormonal fluctuations that have wide-ranging impacts on weight, metabolism, mental health, skin and the reproductive system.

The condition was officially renamed in May 2026, following a landmark global consensus published in The Lancet, recognising it as a complex multisystem condition rather than a primarily gynaecological one.

Insulin resistance is a core feature of PMOS, meaning that many people carry a significantly elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes over their lifetime. However, care for people with this condition has historically focused on fertility, leaving metabolic risk under-addressed.

Our service users with PMOS deserve care that reflects the full complexity of their condition.

A call to reflect and advocate

Diabetes Week serves as a reminder for us to reflect on how we screen for metabolic risk within our caseloads, how we support people in building sustainable daily routines and how we challenge the stigma narratives that people bring with them. Our service users with PMOS deserve care that reflects the full complexity of their condition.

This June, let’s be visible and advocate for them.