The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme (DWMP) provides flexibility for individuals accessing weight management services
The NHS DWMP has a certain referral criteria:
- For adults living with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 adjusted to ≥ 27.5 for people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds)
- PLUS a diagnosis of diabetes or hypertension or both.
People can access the DWMP via referral from General Practices and Community Pharmacies in England. The programme includes behavioural & lifestyle interventions delivered over 12 consecutive weeks. People have the option to participate via an App or web-based platform and the service is provided at no cost to local systems.
Programme Referral Hub
The dedicated Programme Referral Hub triages people to the most appropriate intervention level.
Designed by NHS England the triage tool assigns people based on the likelihood of non-completion of the programme (based on data from the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme). It aims to ensure thos least likely to complete are offered a higher level of intervention and support.
The Programme Referral Hub provides a choice of service providers at each level of support.
Each service provider follows four core focus areas delivered over the 12 week programme syllabus.
The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme has a detailed service specification, followed by each of the contracted service providers, with content via their app or web platform aimed at empowering people living with obesity to take a leading role in initiating weight loss, becoming more active and improving their health.
Each programme supports achievement of the England Chief Medical Officer's (CMO) physical activity recommendations and a reduction in sedentary behaviour as detailed in the government recommendations for diet and physical activity.
A direct referral using the practices own e-RS system can be made by any member of the General Practice healthcare team.
- General Practitioners
- Practice Nurses
- Social Prescribing Link Workers
- Dieticians
- Care Coordinators/Healthcare Assistants
- Practice Pharmacists
- Health and Wellbeing Coaches
- Healthy Weight Coaches
Healthcare Professional Toolkit 2022
This toolkit has been designed for healthcare professionals who are referring patients to the programme. It contains important information about the programme, how to make referrals to the service and what you and service users can expect from the programme.
GP Referral
General practices should use Version 2 of the referral template, which can be downloaded here. Submitting a referral remains easy through e-RS by searching for ‘NHS Digital Weight Management Programme – NHS England Version 2’ using postcode ST4 4LX.
Video (NHS Futures): How to make a GP referral
Information for general practices
Pharmacy Referral
Video (NHS Futures): How to make a pharmacy referral
Digital Weight Management Programme:
Staff Digital Weight Management Programme:
Let's Talk About Weight:
Obesity Language Matters:
A peer reviewed paper on early outcomes for the DWMP has been published and can be found here.
This paper shows that the programme can provide clinically meaningful weight loss, not significantly impacted by socioeconomic status.
- 63,937 people were referred to the scheme in its first year with 50% taking up the offer and enrolling onto the service.
- A total of 14,268 of those then went on to complete the programme (April 2021 to March 2022), with people who completed it losing 3.9kg or 8.59lbs over 12 weeks.
- Of the 31,718 people who started the initiative, including those who did not complete, the average weight loss was still 2.2kg or 4.85lbs.
- More than a third of the referrals were from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds with the data clearly showing it is helping those from deprived backgrounds, as well as those affected by health inequalities and at a higher risk of adverse outcomes associated with obesity.
- As of March 2024, over 358,000 referrals had been made to the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme.