The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme (DWMP) launched this week will help thousands of adults achieve a healthy weight and improve their wellbeing. Patients will access ‘tier two’ digital weight management services via the DWMP Referral Hub designed and produced by NHS Midlands and Lancashire (NHS ML). This is a tool that allows people to choose the weight management provider which they feel they can connect with most successfully, and which then provides a flexible and tailored service to match their individual needs.

Part of the government’s obesity strategy, the Department of Health and Social Care announced that new services will be offered across England including online tools and funding for face-to-face consultations. The NHS DWMP will offer free online support for adults living with obesity, who also have diabetes, high blood pressure or both, to help manage their weight and improve their health.

Following an e-referral (instructions on what GPs need to do), NHS ML’s Referral Hub uses a triage algorithm process to identify the appropriate level of intervention based on the patient’s likelihood of completing the programme. The Hub then offers patients a choice of weight management service providers. They can select a provider they choose, and the system links them through and passes across key information to enable the patient to register and get started.

Easily accessing the Hub via smartphone or computer means more people are likely to complete the DWMP and improve their health. By cutting back on applications paperwork and making referrals through the Hub, primary care has seen a potential for major efficiency gains in saved time and resources.

Eligible NHS staff have also been offered free access to the Hub via self-referral.