Patients who are following a non-NHS programme for weight management will feel more supported and possibly more motivated to continue with a programme if they feel that their healthcare providers are taking an active interest in their progress. This does not necessarily mean that a formal review appointment has to be arranged as this could be discussed with the patient when attending other routine appointments. Some practices do offer brief ‘drop-in’ sessions for patients to enable them to update their healthcare professionals. This also allows practitioners to carry out a more comprehensive assessment of progress e.g. blood pressure changes or blood lipid changes. As the management of obesity is a lifelong process it is likely that some patients will chose to dip in and out of non-NHS programmes. The primary healthcare team can therefore provide consistency in terms of support and monitoring and can continue to guide people through the options for weight management in a patient-centred way.

The Assessment and Treatment modules provide a comprehensive review of the assessment procedure and treatment options for patients for whom it is more appropriate to treat via the practice or another NHS route.