Weight Management Services

We are a friendly, approachable, and experienced team who specialise in weight management. Our team is specially designed to fully support you with all aspects of weight loss.

The service is made up of a team of male and female dietitians.

We deliver services in Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Redditch, Bromsgrove and Kidderminster.

Most appointments are now virtual. It is really important to let us know if you have limited access or ability to use a smartphone or the internet. We can make other arrangements.

How is the Tier 3 service different from the diets I have tried before?

We are a specialist service offering you support to achieve long-term, sustainable weight loss. We often find that people who access our service have tried many diets in the past which have not worked for them. Our role is not to tell you what to do but to guide you to make decisions that will suit you and your lifestyle and to help you understand what you need to do to manage your weight in the longer term.

We take a behavioural approach to weight management to help you to

• Explore current habits and factors that are impacting on your weight
• Identify and start to make changes to your eating, activity and thinking.
• See the links between mood and the food choices that you make.
• Develop skills and confidence to manage your weight in the longer term.
• Feel more in control.
• Support you with any gaps in your knowledge about what to eat.

Do I have to have bariatric surgery?

Not all patients referred to the service are interested in having bariatric surgery.  We help you to develop your skills and confidence so that you can manage your weight in the longer term. These skills will benefit you regardless of whether you choose to have bariatric surgery or not.

Why do I need to complete the Tier 3 program before I can have bariatric surgery?

The program will support you to make the necessary lifestyle changes that will enable you to manage your weight in the long term. In this time, you will be working towards non-scales victories which will be different for everyone e.g. making time for yourself, being a bit more active, signing up to start something new, stopping smoking. Losing a bit of weight before surgery will help lower the risk of complications.

What to expect on the Tier 3 program?

All patients will initially have an individual video appointment with a dietitian for a brief assessment.  Those who are suitable for the service will have access to online resources whilst waiting to be allocated to a dietitian in your locality; this will include workshops.

When allocated to a dietitian, you will be offered a place on the weight management group, one-to-one virtual appointments and/or face-to-face appointments.

You need to be willing to engage with the service and commit to attending these appointments. 

If I want to have surgery what happens after I have completed Tier 3?

Once you have completed the Tier 3 program you will need to attend the 2 pre-surgery group sessions. These sessions provide you with information about the 2 bariatric surgery options in our Trust; gastric sleeve and gastric bypass. This group is now being run virtually and you can find out more about the Bariatric service here.

Bariatric Surgery information: www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/bariatric-surgery/

Healthy Worcestershire website: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/council-services/health-and-wellbeing/healthy-lifestyle-referrals

NHS Talking Therapies website: www.talkingtherapies.hwhct.nhs.uk/selfreferral/

NHS Better Health website: www.nhs.uk/better-health/

Stop Smoking support and information: https://healthyworcestershire.org.uk/stop-smoking/

Healthy Eating and Lifestyles information and advice: www.talkcommunity.co.uk/keeping-well-staying-healthy/healthy-lifestyles/healthy-eating/

Clinical Observations and Research on Engagement in Specialist Weight Management Services

Are you attending a specialist weight management service in England or Wales? You may be eligible to participate in an important study aimed at improving care in weight management clinics.

This research, called the CORE Study, seeks to gather valuable clinical and patient-reported information through hospitals and a dedicated PeopleWith app. By participating, you can help healthcare professionals better understand these clinics and enhance the support provided to patients like you.

How to Get Involved: 

All the details, including the consent form, are available through the app. Simply follow the link below.

https://core.peoplewith.com/?id=SFECORE09

Referrals to the Tier 3 weight management service can now only be made via E-referral by a GP using the weight management triage pathway. Referrals either by post or email are no longer accepted.

In order to be referred through to the Worcestershire Specialist Tier 3 Weight Management Team you need to fulfil the local Care Commissioners’ criteria.

• Aged at least 18 years
• Either have a BMI >40 Kg/m² with or without obesity-related co morbidities or a BMI >35 kg/m² with at least one of the following: diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnoea or intracranial hypertension.

If you would like to contact the team please use the details below:

Specialist Weight Management Dietitians
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01905 760742 (answer phone)

The Tier 3 weight management dietitians work closely with the Bariatric Tier 4 Surgical team. For more information about the Bariatric Service, visit: https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/services/item/bariatric-surgery

The Tier 3 and 4 dietitians are part of the Worcestershire Nutrition and Dietetic Department. For more information about the Nutrition and Dietetic Service, visit:  https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/dietetics