NHS Grampian leads way in weight management service design

NHS Grampian is working to develop new models for NHS-funded weight management services which could be replicated across the UK. 

The health board has successfully secured two Innovate UK funding bids, totaling £75,000, to explore innovative approaches to helping local people lose weight and lead healthier lives. With obesity one of the leading causes of ill-health, it's hoped these projects will make a difference by testing better access to weight loss services and treatments. 

Focusing on early intervention, Professional Lead for Dietetics in Moray, Jacqueline Walker, who spends part of her week as a Professional Advisor to the Scottish Government’s Diet and Healthy Weight team, is leading a project focusing on the role of diet and exercise in keeping us healthy. 

She said: “We know successful weight management requires the right support at every stage, including when people are prescribed weight loss medications. That’s why we’re developing the Heart of Moray website as a prototype for a ‘digital front door’ – a model that could be scaled nationally. It builds on the work we’ve been doing through the Rural Centre of Excellence in Moray with our Scottish Digital Health and Innovation Centre, where we’re testing innovative, community-informed approaches to health and wellbeing. The aim is to connect local leisure and wellbeing services with healthcare and dietetic expertise, making support more accessible, welcoming and socially engaging.” 

Another project is looking at the possibility of NHS-funded weight loss drugs being made available to people who are awaiting bariatric surgery via local pharmacies. 

Laura Karim, Pharmaceutical Services Development and Improvement Manager for NHS Grampian, explained: “Right now we’re doing some research and development to work out the best ways to give people access to appropriate weight management support. We’ve reduced waiting lists for patients who are eligible for bariatric surgery in Grampian, and this new step is about finding ways to offer this group another option to help in their weight loss journey while they are waiting for surgery. The aim is to make NHS-funded weight loss drugs available more widely after successfully trialing the process with this group of patients.” 

Project Support Manager Craig Marr added: “We are working alongside a group of community pharmacists, dietitians, psychologists, surgeons and public health experts to work out how these services could run, in principle. They are engaging with people in their communities with lived experience and we’re working together to find solutions that could work across the country. We’re working to set out criteria for NHS-funded patients and thinking about the ongoing support patients will need, and the best way to deliver health monitoring, dose adjustments and advice in community settings, with the back-up of hospital specialists.” 

Jacqueline added: “Helping people make sustainable diet and lifestyle changes not only improves individual health outcomes but also reduces pressure on the NHS. Effective weight management and exercise can lower the risk of obesity-related conditions, reduce the need for certain treatments, significantly improve heart and respiratory health, and even make surgical procedures safer and more successful. 

“We’re piloting tools like Community Connections@Moray, which links people to local weight management support and provides a personal data store to give individuals control over their health journey. These innovations support the shift from reactive care to preventative, self-managed and equitable care. 

“We're aiming to transform how people across Grampian – and potentially across the country – access tailored, evidence-based weight management support. We’re bringing together healthcare professionals, community partners, and the public to co-design solutions that truly meet people’s needs.” 

Visit Keeping Active – Healthy Weight Grampian for advice on achieving a healthier lifestyle and weight, or Heart of Moray – Improving health and wellbeing together for a glimpse into what’s to come.