Thousands more people across Norfolk, Suffolk and north east Essex will be able to access earlier support to manage obesity and reduce their risk of serious illnesses including cancer, heart attacks and stroke thanks to an £8 million government investment in local NHS services.
The investment, awarded through the Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme (OPIP), recognises the work already underway across the area to transform obesity care and improve population health. It reflects the area’s leadership in developing innovative, integrated approaches that help people access support earlier, prevent avoidable illness and reduce health inequalities.
Obesity is one of the most significant public health challenges facing the NHS and is a major risk factor for a range of serious long-term conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and several forms of cancer. Across Norfolk, Suffolk and north east Essex, around 619,000 people are living with overweight or obesity and could benefit from support through the Weight Management and Complex Obesity Service.
The funding will enable the rollout of a single Weight Management and Complex Obesity Service across Norfolk and Suffolk. Building on the successful model already established in Suffolk and north east Essex, it will reduce variation in access to care, ensure people can access the same high-quality support regardless of where they live, and help create one of the most integrated obesity pathways in the country.
A key element of the bid’s success was its single referral point into all weight management and complex obesity services. Previously, patients often had to progress through a series of different services, or ‘tiers’ of care, before accessing the treatment most appropriate for them. The new tierless model enables patients to be referred directly to the support that best meets their clinical needs, improving access and reducing delays.
The bid was also recognised for its digital innovation and plans to improve access to services for communities who may face barriers to care.
The funding directly supports the ICB’s Population Health Commissioning Strategy and the ambitions of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England, particularly the shift from sickness to prevention. By identifying people at greatest risk sooner, improving access to support and providing more care closer to home, the programme aims to improve healthy life expectancy, reduce health inequalities and prevent serious illness before it develops.
The £8 million award will increase capacity across the entire pathway by 27 per cent over the next three years, increasing the number of people who can benefit from support and treatment from 67,155 to 85,270.
The investment means that:
- Capacity will increase to support an additional 4,500 patients with obesity management medications over the next three years.
- Up to 20 new Neighbourhood Access Accelerator Hubs will be created in partnership with digital providers and selected community sites to expand outreach services for people living with obesity. The hubs will be located in areas of deprivation and close to public transport links.
- Adults with the highest clinical need will be proactively identified and general practices will be invited to refer them into the service.
- As part of the expanded pathway, up to 13,270 children and young people living with obesity will benefit from earlier access to support and treatment, helping to prevent future ill health and improve lifelong health outcomes.
- New digital tools and resources, including tailored support for people with learning disabilities, will be developed.
Ed Garratt OBE, Chief Executive of NHS Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care Board, said:
“This is a major vote of confidence from government in our local health and care system and in the work we are already doing to improve population health through prevention and early intervention.
“Obesity is one of the most significant contributors to poor health, increasing the risk of serious conditions including cancer, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. If we are serious about improving healthy life expectancy and reducing health inequalities, we must do more to support people earlier.
“This investment will help us deliver the ambitions of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan and our Population Health Commissioning Strategy by expanding access to support, proactively identifying those at greatest risk and providing more care closer to people’s homes and communities.
“It will also help us develop what we believe will become the most integrated weight management and obesity pathway in the country, bringing together community services, specialist support, digital innovation and targeted interventions into a single, joined-up model of care.”
Mr Hywel Room, Consultant Bariatric Surgeon and Clinical Lead for OPIP, said:
“NHS Norfolk and Suffolk ICB have worked hard over the last three years to improve local services for patients living with obesity. A new local specialist weight management service has been established and a single point of access for all weight management and complex obesity referrals has been launched.
“The award of the OPIP grant is fantastic news which will allow us to move further and faster with the development and expansion of these services including community hubs and digital pathways in line with the 10 year Health Plan for England.”
Professor Edward Morris CBE FRCOG, Regional Medical Director for the NHS in the East of England, said: “This new money is helping unleash the ambition of regional teams to make a real difference to patients, driving forward the ‘Sickness to prevention’ strategic shift that was set out in the 10 Year Health Plan last year.
“The ICB and ESNEFT have already done an amazing job creating an innovative digital single referral point into their weight management and complex obesity services and together, they are providing an exemplar to other regions and already reducing obesity.
“The new money will help them continue the rollout of weight management services that will go far to improve lives of patients.”
Declaration: Independent grant funding has been provided by Eli Lilly and Company Limited in addition to the funding contributed by the Department for Science Innovation and Technology. The programme is being delivered through Innovate UK.