Jan Pollock with her Lawrence Medal

A health campaigner who won an award after a lifetime of living with diabetes has warned against the threat of privatisation.

The Lawrence Medal is given to people who have lived with diabetes for 60 years and is named after Dr Robert Lawrence who in 1934 co-founded the Diabetic Association, now known as Diabetes UK.

Jan Pollock, who used to be a history teacher, was diagnosed with diabetes when she was 10.

She said after receiving the award she wrote to her doctors based at Whit­tington Hospital, thanking them for their help.

“They must have done something right because I’m still here and I have this medal,” Ms Pollock told the Tribune, “I’m very lucky.”

In the 1990s she was joint coordinator of the University College Union, then known as the NATFHE, and elected onto the union’s national executive to its first disabled members’ seat.

The Lawrence Medal is awarded to those living with diabetes for 60 years

In the 1970s, Ms Pollock was also involved in All London Teachers Against Racism and Fascism, campaigning for anti-racist and anti-sexist teaching methods.

Ms Pollock said having diabetes meant she was prevented from moving up to senior roles in her career, as she was perceived by others as less able due to her condition.

She currently campaigns with Keep Our NHS Public and called for the seizure of GP surgeries by US giant Centene Corporation to be halted.

The NHS-funded contracts at Hanley Primary Care Centre in Finsbury Park, and the Mitchison Road Surgery, in Canonbury, were switched into the hands of one of its subsidiaries, Operose Health, earlier this year.

Councillors and anti-privatisation campaigners say the move has been shrouded in secrecy and approved without public debate.

Ms Pollock said: “The GP centres outside of London won’t know what’s coming. It will affect elderly people and disabled people the most as they are at the mercy of their healthcare providers.”

Ms Pollock recently put forward a motion at the Islington Trades Council calling for the plans to be halted.

A North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group spokesman said: “Patient care is our absolute priority. Islington residents will continue to receive the same great quality of care from their practice, provided by the same GPs and nurses.”

Operose Health have said patients will not notice changes, adding: “Our focus has been and will remain ensuring we provide high quality care for the populations we serve.”