NHS Digital Weight Management Programme

[AuntyBetty61]

I recently spoke to my doctor regarding my weight and very high blood pressure. She said she’d refer me to tier 3 weight management. I’ve received a letter in the post today saying my referral is being reviewed and then underneath stating I’ve been referred to NHS Digital Weight Management Programme and also a text asking me to register on one of the three programmes, one of which is Slimming World (which I’ve tried numerous times and never works)!
Is this the tier 3 referral?
I thought I’d have more of a face to face meeting and the option to discuss weight loss injections and surgery if needed? I’m so disappointed as there isn’t a weight loss programme I haven’t tried!

What are the options, there is an NHS digital programme? I looked at that but not eligible as my bmi is not high enough.

I’m on tier 3, it’s not face to face it’s a 20 minute phone or video call once a month. You have to do slimming world or weight watchers (tier2) for a certain length of time first to qualify for tier 3

And in my area tier 3 can’t prescribe weight loss injections or give any information on surgery. You have to lose enough weight in tier 3 to qualify for tier 4 which is surgery and then wait for that referral (1.5-2yrs) before you can discuss the options and decide if surgery is right for you or not.

Don't bother. NHS weight loss service isn't fit for purpose. You have to fail one of the diets on the digital service before you get access to Tier 3. My assumption is that NHS weight loss is designed by someone who has never had weight issues. It just makes you more despondent and if you comfort eat, will make matters so much worse.

I registered for the Second Nature programme in the end as from the three options offered this one had the best reviews. To be honest though, it’s just an app with daily articles you have to read and the odd message to the group you’ve been allocated to. The concept is to basically cut out sugar and carbs, the recipe section is good but they are aimed at two or four people and cost a fair bit. I’m giving it my best shot but apart from a stinking headache which I assume is due to sugar withdrawal I don’t feel any better. My diet wasn’t awful to start with, its portion control I have issues with. I’m trying to be optimistic but I’ve tried most diets going with no success before speaking to my doctor and it just seems like an online version of something similar!

That sounds the same as the tier 3 programme I’m on, but that second nature has a bit more input (articles, group conversation etc). The tier 3 I’m on says reduce carbs and eat more veg and protein too so it’s the right diet advice to follow. There’s no magic secret to losing weight, anything you do is based around eating less.

I'm in Second Nature via NHS self referral. Not sure what tier it is but I'm struggling with it. In some versions of SN (eg if you have T2 diabetes) you are allocated a coach who is available to answer questions Monday to Friday, but mine is self guided. No coach. Nobody in the group talks so all it is for me is read the daily article in the app and try to stick to lower carb and avoid UPF. I need more support unfortunately so its just a waste of NHS money me being in that programme because if it was as easy as read an article each day and reduce carbs I would have done that by myself years ago!

It sounds the same as the version I’m doing. Very little interaction from other members in the group and the coach messages sent out seem like they are automated. I’m at the end of week one (or the 5 day reset) and after weighing this morning, there’s absolutely no difference (you are encouraged to weigh 3 times in the first 5 days). I’ve decided to give it a month as I know weight loss takes a while to catch up but it’s honestly not very motivating at all! It’s very self guided as you say @Vivrtrey and if it was that easy we’d have managed it ourselves a long time ago! I’m told all my medical issues are down to my weight and really do want to sort it, I know there’s no magic wand to wave and some people have amazing luck with these types of diets but it seems like the NHS offer a one size fits all solution and if it doesn’t work for you, well you haven’t tried hard enough and clearly don’t want it!

NHS weightloss programmes are a waste of time, I was referred to tier 3 in June 2022, as had health issues due to weight, high blood pressure, diebetes, sleep apnea etc, had one seminar appointment, in Feb 2023, which explained what you would have to do before reaching tier 4, which is weightloss surgery/Ozempic. My sleep apnea consultant wrote to them advising prescribing me Ozempic, but they wouldn't do it. I finally decided to have weightloss surgery privately in UK, in October last year.

By which time you dont meet the criteria for surgery or injections I presume?

I am at the end of week 3. I have lost and gained the same 1lb since starting! I believe we get access to bigger communities and coaches later in the program, I think week 5. Hopefully that will help.

Tier 3 here don’t prescribe injections, neither do tier 4 as that is surgery here.

I was referred to one of these programmes as the GP wanted me to have WLS and that was the route. I just took out a loan and went private. He told me to wait and go through the programme and get referred/waiting list etc, but I really didnt have time for that, morbid obesity is a ticking time bomb (as my surgeon said to me at the time!)

I'd still be on the waiting list now!!

The NHS weight management is rubbish generally.
I got referred to a weight management clinic which, in practice, turned out to be a series of phone calls.
All the calls clearly had a time limit and two constantly snapped at me "just a yes or no answer" when in fact the answer needed was much more complicated.

I was then offered:

Sleep apnea testing (the results came back "mild apnea needs to lose weight" )
A physiotherapist phone call (they gave an appt, never rang, swore blind they did and discharged me)
Counselling (in the middle of the working day for 12 weeks so as a teacher with no flexibility I had to decline)

So pretty useless but then since my weight is a self-inflicted issue I'm not entirely sure it's the NHS' problem to fix so in future I will pay myself for the treatment that I need.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do op!