Entering a new era
Chris Walton
Chair; Association of British Clinical Diabetologists (ABCD)
Address for correspondence: Dr Chris Walton
Department of Diabetes, Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road, Hull, HU3 2JZ, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1482 675368
E-mail: chris.walton@hey.nhs.uk
Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2014;14:1
http://dx.doi.org/10.15277/bjdvd.2014.001
In the final edition of Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis as a SAGE publication in 2013, the editorial1 alluded to discussions about the journal being taken over by ABCD. The conclusion of those discussions sees BJDVD, volume 14, relaunched as the official journal of ABCD. Professional organisations need a clear and loud voice. ABCD is no exception and has been aware of the limitations imposed by not having a house journal to promote its goals. ABCD was founded in 1997 and the officers wished to establish a journal but lacked the resources. The ABCD Newsletter has served as the only printed output from ABCD and Peter Winocour’s valedictory editorial is on pages 41-42.
The first edition of BJDVD was published in August 2001 and launched at the EASD in Glasgow – a meeting punctuated by the events of 9/11. The previous editorial team of Ian Campbell, Cliff Bailey and Caroline Day have placed the journal in a market niche between Diabetic Medicine and Practical Diabetes International. The journal has had strong professional values, a loyal base of readers and contributors who have valued the free to publish, free to read ethos2 and the policy of making the process of submitting manuscripts as user friendly as possible.
The opportunity for ABCD to acquire BJDVD came suddenly and recently. ABCD has grasped the opportunity to make BJDVD its house journal and the enthusiasm and abundant goodwill from all has made the relaunch project a pleasure. Ian Campbell who has been a great champion of the journal has retired, but accepted the role of Consultant Editor. ABCD is delighted that Cliff and Caroline will continue as editors, and that Paul Grant, who has previous editorial experience with Clinical Medicine, has agreed to join them.
How the journal will evolve in the future is something which will be addressed by the new editorial team working with the ABCD executive and membership. The wish is to provide a voice for the Association and a resource for diabetologists in the broadest sense, i.e. all independent practitioners in diabetes. I believe the grafting of BJDVD onto the rootstock of ABCD will produce vigorous new growth, and hope you will value and use the journal.
Articles you wish to be considered for publication should be submitted to http://www.diabetologists-abcd.org.uk/bjdvd.htm
In the first edition of the journal the late and much missed Harry Keen wrote3 that “the diabetes community awaits, with a mixture of suspended expectation and cautious enthusiasm, the report, recommendations and, most crucially, the implementation of the Department of Health's National Service Framework for Diabetes”. Several health service reorganisations and a recession later, the diabetes community waits with similarly suspended expectation to see if NHS England can deliver on the action plan outlined in the recently published ‘Action for Diabetes’;4 and if the clinical commissioning groups can live up to the high expectations placed on their limited infrastructure or whether political impatience will set in place a further cycle of change.
1. Day C, Walton C. Changing places. Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2013;13:222-3. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1474651413514897
2. Day C, Campbell IW, Bailey CJ. Free to publish – Free to read. Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2013;13:162-3. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1474651413502904
3. Keen H. Translating wish lists to blueprints: A National Service Framework for diabetes. Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2001;1:57-61.
4. Action for Diabetes. http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/qual-clin-lead/ action-for-diabetes/ (Accessed March 2014)