Thousands more children and young people who are severely obese will receive intensive support from the NHS, with 10 new specialist clinics set to open across England.
The new services will launch this year, bringing the total to 30 clinics that are able to provide expert help to children and their families which can prevent long term conditions including Type 2 diabetes.
Around 3,000 obese children and young people aged between two and 18, will receive help to lose weight, treatment for complications as well as tailored care packages developed with their family, which could include diet plans, mental health care and coaching.
The new initiative is set to be announced at the annual NHS Confed Expo conference in Manchester tomorrow with NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard expected to say that “doing nothing is not an option” and that earlier intervention can prevent long term health problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
Backed by £18 million over the next two years, the boosted rollout doubles the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan to introduce 15 new clinics in England.
The expansion comes alongside figures showing that hospital admissions of obese youngsters under 17 has nearly tripled in a decade – going from 3,370 in 2011/12 to 9,431 in 2021/22.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard will say: “Obesity can lead to a string of serious illnesses such as cancer and diabetes – bringing a terrible human cost, and also a real pressure on the NHS.
“Doing nothing now is not an option and so these new clinics, will bring together a range of experts in one place providing intensive – but sensitive – physical and mental support for thousands of young people and their families.”
Patients being treated at the new clinics will get access to specialist NHS doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers and dietitians, who will assess their complications, provide tailored help with diet and lifestyle changes, and deliver mental health support and coaching.
In addition to providing treatment, the clinics will also work at identifying the factors which cause obesity in children and young people by considering their mental wellbeing alongside their physical health.
