The iDEAL Group (Insights for Diabetes Excellence, Access and Learning are a dynamic multidisciplinary team of diabetes specialists with expertise that spans across diabetes management, medicine, pharmacy, dietetics, technology, nursing, psychology, commissioning and the perspective of living with diabetes. Their focus is to build consensus, network, research, share knowledge and collectively seek to make things better; both for practitioners working in partnership with and for people living with diabetes.

This iDEAL position paper seeks to reduce the stigma often experienced by PWD regarding complications and remove any blame or shame associated with diabetes complications. This includes not using the terms ‘Diabetic Foot or Diabetic Ulcer’ as these can add to the stigma experienced by PWD. These changes can be created through encouraging and enabling an environment of education, knowledge and trust using language that enables and not disadvantages PWD