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Another year. Gone. Just like that. Whoosh. Whistled past while we all wrestled with life. And it's pretty obligatory to have a look back. Look back as time fizzed by and hair greyed just a tad.

And I will be honest... personally, it's actually been a satisfying year... no big things per se but the aim was to keep 2015 as one of consolidation... do the job one is supposed to do and try to do it as best as possible. NHS work was good – job satisfaction was high and as ever it boiled down to the colleagues or should I say, friends I work with. I work about eight weekends a year, I work with an amazing team, have good relations with local primary care and commissioners... sometimes it's not a bad idea to stand back and take stock. Sometimes it's easy to forget the bigger picture.

Taking stock suggests it's not a bad place to be in – about 7.5 years after being a consultant. Tips for anyone interested as regards a good working condition? Find a good team to work in... and invest a heck of a lot of time in building relations. Keep it casual, keep it simple, don't forget your sense of humour... and cardinally? Learn to laugh at yourself... believing your own hype is always a slippery road.

Nationally or in general the NHS got itself in the throes of an odd mix. On one hand, if you looked hard enough, there were some good ideas out there. I am a believer in the principle of Vanguards – I like the concept, I like the direction as regards system leadership, need to measure outcomes of systems... and that is exactly how healthcare should be delivered and measured.

It's a sad indictment of the times that all of this is somehow hamstrung by the tentacles of politics. Money talks as ever... and whichever way you turn, the sums don't add up. We talk about a transformation fund, we talk about innovation... while also talking about financial balance. John Appleby is not someone to turn your nose up at... if he says we are in trouble, we actually are.

Money did come as per the ask of Simon Stevens but without public health and social care support, all it has the potential to be is an expensive sticking plaster at best. Politics doesn't allow thoughts for the future, it only lives in the present, learning nothing from the past. Patient safety continued to be a focus... and one of the highlights of the year was meeting James Titcombe. To read more, click here.

People with diabetes and healthcare professionals from within the community are being invited to take part in a group bike ride in Mallorca. To read more, click here. 

Antibiotic resistance could help find a cure for diseases such as type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s, according to new research.

Experts from the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology at the University of Leeds say the antibiotic resistance could help prevent amyloid diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, from forming in the first place. To read more, click here. 

A specific brand of glucose test strips could produce false high readings, doctors and users have been warned.

A medical safety alert has been issued by Menarini Diagnostics UK about their GlucoMen LX Sensor test strips. To read more, click here. 

NHS England is advertising the role of the national clinical director for diabetes and obesity.

Professor Jonathan Valabhji has been in the role since 2013. To read more, click here.

An 11-year-old from Swindon and a Doncaster primary school are among the winners of a short film competition aimed at raising awareness of type 1 diabetes.

The Diabetes in School Short Film competition was launched at the beginning of the summer by Diabetes UK as part of its Make the Grade campaign. To read more, click here. 

A pioneering health project aiming to reduce diabetes among Bolton’s South Asian community has been granted a £50,000 funding boost.

The scheme, which will involve recruiting community champions to help people manage their illness better, has been given the money by Diabetes UK. To read more, click here. 

A new mentoring campaign where the diabetes community will help support newly diagnosed people has been launched.

The Paula Carr Diabetes Trust is inviting people already living with diabetes to take part in a new film project called Pearls of Wisdom. To read more, click here. 

A new glucose monitoring device aimed to help lorry drivers manage their type 2 diabetes is being trialled. To read more, click here. 

Impressive results from a prevention scheme in Durham are down to the mind-set of the participants, according to a local health practitioner.

To read more, click here.