Discover More About… UHCW Specialist Weight Management Service  

[Audio] Hi everyone, welcome to this information session about the specialist Weight Management Service at UHCW..

[Audio] During this session, we're going to cover a brief overview of the service, the current treatment options, helpful resources, and next steps..

[Audio] So, who is the specialist weight management service? We're part of a multidisciplinary team made-up of dietitians, nutritionists, Dietetic assistant practitioners, psychologists and endocrinologists. Depending on your needs, you may work with all specialities during your time with us, or maybe just a few, but we draw on each other's skills and expertise to make sure that we give you the best advice and care possible..

[Audio] I'd just like to highlight the values and approaches we take in the service. One of those being that we acknowledge that everyone is unique, that we all have different circumstances, health conditions and lifestyles and we'll aim to work with you as an individual and take all of that into consideration. Our focus of the service is not just about weight management but looking at your overall health improvements. We may occasionally need to weigh you, however we're also keen to see improvements in your energy levels, your sleep, your physical activity levels and your mental well-being. It's not just about weight, it's about health. Our aim is to take a compassionate and non judgmental approach. We know that sadly, a lot of our patients have had negative experiences, so we hope to give you a different one. A big part of our service is about goal setting and making sustainable changes. We tend to find a lot of our patients know the things that they need to do to improve their diet and lifestyle, but it's implementing it is the difficult part. So, we're here to help you start making those small, sustainable changes and setting sort of realistic and achievable goals to get you there..

[Audio] So let's get into the support we can provide related to diet and lifestyle. Our Tier 3 service is provided for up to 12 months. As a service, we focus on behaviour change and your relationship with food, not just about what you put on the plate. We won't give you any diet plans, calorie targets or weight loss goals. We are here to help you build healthier behaviours and a healthier mindset around eating. We do ask that you have a basic understanding of nutrition and healthy eating, such as what the different food groups are, so we can focus more on the why behind the eating habits. If you do need any support or further information about understanding the food groups or cooking tips and things like that, we can signpost you to our Tier 2 community services and I'll point those out at the end when I do some signposting. Our main treatment is delivered through group sessions based in Coventry City centre, which I'll give more details on shortly. And as part of the service, you have access to an app called Grow Health, which you may find helpful. You can scan the QR code on the screen and just enter the W 8 Buddy code to get free access to that app. It's a great tool. It covers a variety of different things, including nutrition, eating behaviours, sleep, exercise and overall well-being, all designed to help you build sustainable changes and healthy habits..

[Audio] So, group sessions. There are three group sessions in total. The 1st 2 are led by the dietitians team and the third by the psychology team. They're approximately 2 hours each and you'll need to attend one group every six to eight weeks depending on availability. The sessions do last about two hours long and they are aimed to be informal, interactive and provide a supportive space to explore a variety of different topics whilst giving you some ideas and tools of how to improve your health and manage your weight. Please don't panic when you walk in. This is a cardio rehab centre and the ground floor is a gym. However, we will not be getting you on any of the gym equipment and have just use of the room upstairs. There is access to a lift there if you need it. Family and/or friends are unable to attend the groups with you, but they are welcome to wait downstairs and there is a Cafe where they can get a hot drink. If you do have any concerns about attending the groups due to your individual needs, we can discuss this on a case by case basis to see if we can provide reasonable adjustments. And you can just see on the screen - sort of the days and times that those groups normally run at..

[Audio] So another arm of our service is medical support, so through the endocrinology service, you would have already completed an assessment appointment on the phone before this group to help us understand your medical background. You will likely have been told if you were being referred for medical input at that appointment. Not everyone needs to see a doctor, but if your health changes at any point whilst you're under our service, please let someone know and then we can make sure that your treatment plan stays safe and appropriate for you..

[Audio] Weight management injections. So they're a very hot topic at the moment. While the NICE guidelines recommend weight loss injections, unfortunately UHCW is not funded to provide them and this decision comes from our local commissioner, which is the Integrated Care Board, not the hospital trust itself. Currently funding it is extremely limited. Patients with type 2 diabetes would need to discuss with one of our medical team if they are eligible, but if you don't have diabetes, we're unfortunately unable to prescribe these injections. We completely understand how frustrating this is and we have advocated for broad access to these medications, but at this moment it's out of our hands. But we do encourage you for any questions, concerns or complaints about the non funding of this medication to contact the Integrated Care Board directly using the web page on this slide. Another common question we get is whether we can recommend private providers. Unfortunately we cannot. We are not able to refer or endorse any private services. That said, if you are self funding weight loss medication, you are still welcome in our service and we can support you with advice around eating, managing side effects or if your weight loss has plateaued. However, we are unable to advise on dosage and you would need to speak directly with your prescribing Dr or provider..

[Audio] So following your 12 months in the service, we have two options. We will either discharge you back to your GP or if you're interested in meet the criteria, refer you on to the bariatric surgery team if you choose this route. At UHCW we primarily offer gastric sleeves and gastric bypasses. Gastric balloons may be an option to a few, but only in rare cases and due to medical need. It's important to understand that surgery is just a tool. It can reduce the physical hunger, but it won't change your food choices or mindset that has to come from you. To be considered for surgery and to have long term success, it's essential to be in a good place mentally and emotionally with healthy habits already in place, which is partly what we try to achieve during your time in Tier 3. We do not offer swallowable balloons, liposuction, cosmetic surgery or excess skin removal procedures. These are not currently funded within UHCW so it's just good to be aware of that at this stage. Although there is a lot of hype around the weight loss injections currently, surgery does still remain the gold standard for long term weight management. It's backed by decades of evidence and when combined with the right support and lifestyle changes, it can deliver excellent results. If surgery becomes a suitable option for you, we will provide all the information that you need when the time comes. But we'll just take things one step at a time. When it comes to bariatric surgery, if you choose to have it done privately or abroad, Please note that we're unable to offer long term NHS follow up care. We can provide emergency support if something goes wrong, but after that you'll be discharged..

[Audio] So when it comes to weight management, timing is really key. It needs to be the right time for you to be ready to engage with the support that's available. So there's just a few questions on the screen to ask yourself about whether this is the right time for you, whether you're in the right headspace to be making any changes or engaging with us. And whether you're prepared to sort of take that longer term sustainable approach to, to weight management rather than those quick fixes or the magic wanders we refer to it as, which unfortunately isn't providing lasting results. If you have already been seen by one of our medical team and have any queries regarding follow up appointments, blood tests or medication, please contact them directly using the number provided on the screen. Unfortunately we're not able to answer those for you, so please do contact them..

[Audio] if you have already been seen by one of our medical team and have any queries regarding follow up appointments, blood tests or medication, please contact them directly using the number provided on the screen. Unfortunately we're not able to answer those for you, so please do contact them..

[Audio] This is a list of services that you may find useful. As I mentioned earlier, if you need sort of the Tier 2 support, so for information, understanding nutrition, food groups etc, then you may want to refer yourselves to Tier 2 services. So in Warwickshire that's the fit of futures and in commentary that's healthy lifestyles. If you're from further afield, please just have a look and search for your local Tier 2 services for weight management in your area and you've also got some referral support if you wanted to engage in any talking therapies or get any support from the charity sector with mental health or any sort of eating disorders,.

[Audio] These are some further resources to support you with topics such as positive body image, disordered eating patterns, self compassion and overcoming overeating and much more. You've got some online resources, and also some books that you may find useful..

[Audio] "Thank you for listening today. If you have any questions, need to rearrange an appointment, or feel you no longer need the service, please contact the admin team on 02467 966161. Every small change counts — and we're here to support you.".