A nurse by profession, David McAughey has over thirty years experience in diabetes care.

After developing diabetes nursing services in Oldham in the early nineteen eighties, David moved to central Manchester 1996 when he was appointed Diabetes Specialist Nurse at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. Within two years of his appointment, he was asked to undertake a management role within the newly opened diabetes centre and in 1990 was appointed to the Victoria University of Manchester as a Lecturer in Diabetes Nursing. After developing a new role as Lecturer Practitioner two years later, he was offered the opportunity to commission a purpose built diabetes centre and moved to Bolton in November 1993.

From May 1995, David held several non promotional roles in the pharmaceutical industry.

In 2000 he was appointed to the staff of the University of Warwick and was in post in time for the launch of Warwick Diabetes Care, a new initiative which aimed to improve access to educational programmes for health care professionals. In January 2002, he was promoted to the role of Director of Education within the diabetes unit attached to the medical school and was responsible for several educational initiatives including the development of the MA / MSc Programme in Diabetes which has been an outstanding success.

In October 2004 David resigned from his post in order to concentrate on developing the Simply Diabetes brand.

He continues in his commitment to clinical work, providing diabetes nursing services to the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

David has served eight years as an elected honorary officer of the Royal College of Nursing Diabetes Nursing Forum. He was chair of the group in 1993. In addition he was elected for two consecutive terms to the executive committee of the British Diabetic Association (now Diabetes UK) and was a trustee of the charity in 1993.

In 2004 David was elected Janet Kinson Fellow by Diabetes UK. He has had type 1 diabetes for over forty years.