A beloved former Stirling doctor, who transformed the lives of millions of people with diabetes after co-inventing the world’s first insulin pen, has been honoured with the Mirror Pride of Britain Lifetime Achievement Award.
In the late 1970s, Sheila Reith was moving to Glasgow from London. Her daughter Fiona, then aged five, had Type 1 diabetes – ironically developing this after Sheila was already a specialist in the field.
This meant that Sheila fully understood the practical difficulties of injecting insulin using a glass syringe and re-usable steel needle which had to be sharpened, sterilised and carried in a flask of industrial meths.
Having come off the night sleeper from Glasgow, she was giving her daughter her insulin injection in the ladies’ toilet at Euston Station when she came up with the idea of a pen-like device which would take insulin cartridges to make life easier for people with diabetes.
Sheila, now 86, says: “My daughter Fiona was the real inspiration. She was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was just four, and the treatment was so primitive. I remember thinking to myself, we can do better than this.”
Sheila then became a consultant physician at Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital, and discussed her idea with her colleague Dr John Ireland. They decided to pursue the project by recruiting Dr John Paton, a bioengineer, to their team.
Initially they struggled to get insulin manufacturers interested, but despite this, with Diabetes UK’s support and the invaluable help of nurses, doctors and most, importantly, patients, they trialled their prototype which led to the launch of the world’s first commercial insulin pen – Penject – in 1983.
Sheila said: “I’m glad I had the idea, but all research involves a team and I was extremely lucky to have such wonderful colleagues who deserve equal credit for enabling the idea to come to fruition. I am also indebted to my late husband David for supporting me, and my children.”
As well as her invention, after moving to Stirling Royal Infirmary, Sheila further devoted her career to improving diabetes care, working with local GPs to develop a computer database of patients with diabetes which enabled more efficient care and follow-up.
She also developed a diabetes education centre which promoted multidisciplinary care for people with diabetes, including a dedicated diabetes specialist nurse alongside dieticians, chiropodists and a clinical psychologist.
Dr Reith was a popular figure with both colleagues and patients and their families, not only because of her drive to improve the lives of her patients, pioneering better care and treatment, but also because of her warm demeanour, with one colleague describing her as “the kindest most caring consultant I have worked with”.
In the 1980s, Dr Reith also led the development of a computerised database of everyone living with diabetes in central Scotland, working in collaboration with every GP in the area. It meant better care, with a recall facility that allowed doctors to ask their patients to come in for vital, regular health checks.
In the 1990s Stirling Observer readers were inspired to raise £7000 to buy a slit lamp for the diabetic department at Stirling Royal Infirmary to help monitor eye changes which can occur in people with diabetes, with Dr Reith at the forefront of supporting the appeal.
Dr Elizabeth Robertson, Diabetes UK’s Director of Research, said: “Dr Reith’s idea, and her determination to bring the insulin pen to life, changed the face of insulin therapy and diabetes care forever, benefiting too many people to count.
“Anyone who is lucky enough to meet Dr Reith cannot but be impressed by her generosity of spirit and humility for her part in this tremendous innovation.”
Sheila added: “I’m amazed that anyone put me forward for a Pride of Britain award, and deeply humbled to have won.
“However none of the advances I was part of would have been possible without teamwork, and so I really feel I am accepting this award on behalf of many others.
“People with diabetes face challenges every day. It’s important that things continue to be made better and easier for them through further advances in research and care.”
Dr Reith was also awarded a CBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list last year.
Don’t miss the Pride of Britain Awards broadcast tomorrow (Thursday) October 24 at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.