Published: 1 August, 2025 For people living with diabetes, managing it day-to-day can be a complex task. When people with diabetes become unwell, the challenge magnifies. That’s where sick day management planning comes into play. The development of a sick day action plan along with sick day management education should be provided at diagnosis and reviewed or updated at regular intervals. This is one of the most important things you can do as a health professional when supporting people with diabetes. In this blog, we’ll explore the Clinical guiding principles for sick day management of adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes: a guide for health professionals and NDSS sick day action plans. We’ll discuss the importance of sick day management education, the purpose of the clinical guide, who should participate, and how you can get started. Whether you’re a seasoned health professional or new to providing care to people with diabetes, this is an opportunity to enhance your practice and ensure your patients are never alone in their management journey. Why is sick day management important? This clinical guide and action plans aim to help you develop a sick day action plan and provide effective and evidence-based advice to adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to self-manage their diabetes during illness. This will lead to improved glucose management by the person with diabetes when they are unwell, and avoid prolonged periods of hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia. A sick day action plan also ensures that people with diabetes know who to contact to receive the support they need during periods of illness How can I use this guide to support people with diabetes? Sick day management is an essential skill for people living with diabetes to stay safe. As a health professional supporting people with diabetes, this guide will provide you with information on how: intercurrent illness impacts diabetes and its management diabetes-related complications can mimic illness to provide best practice self-management advice and support for adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes when they experience an intercurrent illness to provide sick day management education for people living with different types of diabetes to develop a sick day action plan for people with different types of diabetes and its key components and when to evaluate a person’s sick day management plan. Who should participate in sick day management planning? If you’re working with adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in the community, including pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes, knowing how to develop a sick day action plan is essential. They assist you to navigate the necessary changes to a person’s diabetes self-management care during periods of minor intercurrent illness. Community settings include home, residential care, and correctional facilities. The guidelines do not include information on sick day management planning for: Children or adolescents Gestational diabetes Hospital inpatients Management of diabetes-related emergencies (i.e. DKA, HHS and lactic acidosis). How to get started You can access the updated guide and action plans on our website to upskill in sick day management and sick day action plan development. Your work in this area will make a significant difference in the lives of people living with diabetes. To help you get started, we have included the relevant links below: Clinical Guidelines Sick Day Action Plan: Type 2 Diabetes Using Insulin Sick Day Action Plan: Type 2 Diabetes Not Using Insulin Sick Day Action Plan: Type 1 Diabetes Multiple Daily Injections Sick Day Action Plan: Type 1 Diabetes Insulin Pump Therapy Sick Day Action Plan: Type 1 Diabetes Tandem TSlim:X2 Sick Day Action Plan: Type 1 Diabetes Omnipod DASH Sick Day Action Plan: Type 1 Diabetes Omnipod 5 Sick Day Action Plan: Type 1 Diabetes Medtronic 780G Sick Day Action Plan: Type 1 Diabetes Ypsomed Ypsopump
