NHS sees spending on obesity expand

One in six NHS trusts has seen spending on obesity rise more than seven-fold in three years.

High demand for stomach surgery for grossly overweight patients as well as specialist equipment, such as larger examination couches, means Primary Care Trust costs have shot up.

Figures from 60 PCTs showed 48% were now treating more patients for obesity than three years ago.

One in six PCTs (16%) increased its obesity budget seven-fold in the last three years.

The same number purchased primary care equipment specially designed for obese patients including over-sized blood pressure bands, couches and scales.

Official figures from the NHS information centre showed there were 2,724 hospital admissions in 2007-08 for bariatric surgery, which includes stomach stapling and gastric bypass.

Overall, hospital admissions for obesity also increased — to 5,018 in 2007-08 — a 30% rise on 2006-07 and almost seven times more than in 1996-97.

Wendy Meston, consultant in public health at NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, said they were concerned about the increasing number of overweight adults and children in the borough and have a number of services in place to help people lose weight and be more active.

She said: “Our weight management service provides people with free Slimming World or Weight Watchers sessions and has helped around 2,000 people to lose weight in the last year alone.

"The NHS now needs local people and all organisations to work together to make a healthy lifestyle an easier choice.

“The NHS physical activity team also provides a number of excellent services, including health walks around the borough, a cycle scheme and an exercise referral scheme which helps inactive adults to take part in a whole range of different activities. Link4Life also offer a wide range of opportunities for being more physically active.

“We work with Rochdale Borough Council and Link4Life on the ‘Do You Feel Good?’ campaign to help people make these lifestyle changes. We are also supporting the national ‘Change4Life’ campaign where families can get personal advice on how to eat well, move more and live longer. Change4Life is a campaign activated at grassroots level. To date, 12,400 organisations, charities, supermarkets and commercial organisations have signed up to the campaign. Anyone who wants to get involved with Change4Life should register at www.nhs.uk/change4life or call 0300 123 4567.

“Anyone concerned about their weight can contact their local GP.”