The Government must act on the recommendations set out in a report published on Friday by the Health and Social Care Select Committee which calls for fair and equal access to weight management services.
We gave evidence to this inquiry by the Health and Social Care Select Committee into weight management services in England, and today they have published their findings.
They conclude that “the absence of adequate weight management services is an indefensible failure of people living with obesity who need access to support”.
The report found that there is too often a lack of access to services including behavioural support programmes, weight loss medications, and weight loss surgery. On top of this, those trying to access NHS services too often encounter stigma instead of the support they are entitled to.
To improve weight management services the report recommends that the Government first acknowledges obesity to be a “lifelong, relapsing and remitting condition” and then to overhaul services with new standards and improved capacity of NHS services.
While carrying out this inquiry, the committee heard from a range of people including healthcare professionals, people with lived experience, and providers of different services.
We fed into the inquiry via both written evidence submissions and in person, with our CEO Colette Marshall invited to speak at one of the evidence sessions in Parliament.
We gave evidence explaining our role in supporting the development and success of NHS services including the diabetes prevention programme, and the path to remission programme.
We were pleased to see the report acknowledge the impact that type 2 diabetes weight management services are having, with a call for the programmes to be expanded and elements to be replicated by other weight management services.
We now want to see the Government recognise the scale of the issue with a comprehensive independent review, building on the Committee’s findings, to establish how services can be better joined up, and identify and expand best practice for delivering services.
Colette Marshall, Chief Executive at Diabetes UK, said:
“Access to obesity treatments and weight management support should not be determined by where someone lives, or what they earn.
“The select committee’s report is welcome, as it underlines the need for a radical and long-overdue overhaul of weight-management services. We need to see a more equitable system, where more people can benefit from type 2 diabetes prevention and remission programmes and weight loss surgery, and where new treatments are introduced fairly and safely throughout the NHS.
“Obesity is a complex, chronic and relapsing condition, and everyone seeking support deserves compassionate care.”
