Alan Johnson has stated that  the Department of Health [DH] will provide extra funds so that the NHS can commission weight management services but expanding QOLYs will not help to fight the growing obesity epidemic.  Instead the DH will support the commissioning of more weight management services by providing extra funding over the next three years.   “ You don't have to incentivise GPs to look after obese patients “, he said, “ lots of GPs will say that it makes no difference whether obesity is incentivised or not.”.  The DH has also stated that “ GPs are not making full use of the clinical care pathway, nor their BMI registers “ and will evaluate and, if needed, update the existing clinical care pathway for the management of weight problems.

 

The BBC's Radio 4 " Moral Maze " programme, Monday January 30th 2008, 8pm, partly focussed on the recent poll stating that a significant number of GPs would refuse to pay for the treatment of overweight/obese patients.  By accessing the BBC4 website you " listen again " to the propgramme via the BBC Radio website for the remainder of this week.  You should find it an informative and entertaining half hour.