The NHS Long Term plan committed to providing access to weight management services for people living with obesity and a diagnosis of diabetes or hypertension or both.
In order to meet this commitment, the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme offers a digital support programme for adults living with obesity plus either diabetes or hypertension, or both, to help them to manage their weight.
The model is based on GP referral to a ‘Referral Hub’, which will triage users to one of three levels of intervention. Users will then have a choice of provider for a 12-week, digital weight management service.
Xyla Health & Wellbeing has been selected as a partner provider to deliver the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme. Through our digital programme, we aim to help service users take the small steps towards big changes.
What does the programme offer?
The programme is personalised to the service users and their needs. We gather information on their current activity levels and dietary and lifestyle preferences, before producing a bespoke lifestyle plan.
We’ll guide the service users in setting realistic goals that support them to make life-long changes to their habits, diet and activity. Our proven approach provides guidance that is right for them and their overall health goals.
Our dietitians, psychologists and physical activity experts; all with experience in helping individuals achieve sustainable weight loss, have crafted:
- Interactive educational modules
- Quizzes
- Podcasts
- Webinars
- Exercise videos (catering to cultural exercise needs)
- Blogs
- Recipes (catering to cultural dietary needs)
- Articles
- Human coaching and dedicated support from a nutrition professional (Levels 2 and 3)
These materials, along with our in-built health tracker, will enable service users to set, monitor and achieve their goals.
You can find out more at www.england.nhs.uk/digital-weight-management/.
How the programme works for the service user
The programme will be delivered digitally. The Service users will have access to our Wellbeing Way app and an in-app community where they can share experiences, tips, recipes and advice with people like them who are also on the same journey. Our team of experts will also be on hand to provide valuable support and motivation throughout the journey.
The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme is designed to work around their lifestyle, work and family commitments. They can complete their e-learning, engage with the Community Forum, review the resource library or complete a workout at a time that suits them.
Wellbeing Way is available on both iOS and Android devices (accessible to Xyla patients only, a unique access link will be emailed to the service user once they have been referred.)
Eligibility criteria
- The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme is offered to adults with a diagnosis of diabetes (Type 2 or Type 1) or hypertension or both with a BMI of 30+ kg/m2 (adjusted to ≥27.5 for ethnicity).
- An individual who meets any one or more of the following exclusion criteria is not eligible to access the service:
- Is pregnant
- Has an active eating disorder
- People for whom a weight management programme is considered to pose greater risk of harm than benefit
- Has had bariatric surgery in the last two years
- The programme will only be accessible to those who have a smartphone or computer with internet access. However, people living with obesity will continue to be able to access Local Authority commissioned weight management services where the new digital services offered do not meet their needs.
Referral process
- The identification and referral of users to the new services will be dependent on the support of those working in General Practice.
- The service has been working with the Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit to create electronic referral forms which can be uploaded into practice system e.g. EMIS, SystemOne and Vision.
- Practices who would like to start referring into the NHS Digital Weight Management programme will find all the necessary materials (clinical templates for all practice IT systems, instructions on how to identify the programme in the e-referral system and general guidance for practices and service users) available to download from the NHSEI website (you’ll need your practice ODS code for access).
- If the user is eligible, the General Practice team can refer the user into the programme. The user will then be given access via a text to an NHS England & Improvement commissioned front-end ‘Referral Hub’, which will triage service users to one of three levels of intervention based on the risk of non-completion of the programme.
- Once triaged, the service user will select their preferred provider to deliver the level of intervention that they require. The system will then link to the chosen provider and pass across key information to enable the service user to register for the 12-week programme.
