NI to get its first Obesity Management Service

Date published: 21 May 2025

The new Service will be the first of its kind in NI with its first phase scheduled to start in early 2026.

This phase will focus on the development of a community-based service where patients will have access to lifestyle support as well as obesity medication, if clinically appropriate.

Currently, health service patients in NI do not have access to specialist weight management provision – including innovative weight loss injections/medications.

This service will support access to weight loss medication in line with NICE guidance. Rollout will be carefully managed in a phased manner to ensure that treatment is provided in a safe and effective manner.

Further phases of the Regional Obesity Management Service (ROMS) will develop, subject to funding, other interventions such as bariatric (weight loss) surgery.

The Minister’s announcement follows a public consultation by the Department of Health on the proposed ROMS introduction.

Mr Nesbitt commented: “This is a very significant step forward. I have many competing demands on a seriously overstretched budget but I was determined to prioritise this area.

“Obesity is a significant public health issue in Northern Ireland, with 65% of adults and 26% of children living with obesity or overweight.

“Those living with being overweight or obese are at a higher risk of a range of major health conditions including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

“As I have repeatedly emphasised, my ambition is to shift our health’s service focus from treating ill people to helping them stay healthy.

“I have also made health inequalities one of my main areas of focus as Minister. Obesity is a contributing factor to health inequalities. It is more prevalent in the most disadvantaged communities (68%) compared to the least disadvantaged (62%).

“Establishing a Regional Obesity Management Service will also bring us into line with other parts of the UK. It will be a phased introduction and will take time and sustained investment to be fully established. Implementation will be taken forward in a carefully managed way to ensure that it operates effectively, with patient numbers building up gradually. Today is nevertheless a very important day for public health.”

The annual cost of obesity to society as a whole in NI is substantial. A 2015 study focusing on estimating both the healthcare and productivity costs of overweight and obesity in NI put this at circa £414 million a year.

In November 2023, the Department launched a consultation seeking views from the public on the introduction of an obesity management service. The outcome of the consultation, which yielded just under 19,000 responses, was overwhelming in favour of introducing this service to Northern Ireland.

A report summarising the public consultation on the proposed ROMS introduction is published today: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/proposed-regional-obesity-management-service-roms-northern-ireland

Plans for the Regional Obesity Management Service sit within the Department of Health’s wider obesity strategic Framework ‘Healthy Futures’. Consultations on both ran simultaneously, with joint engagement events taking place to enable stakeholders to address issues spanning both. A ‘Healthy Futures’ consultation analysis report, outlining the findings of the public consultation on the vision, principles, themes, and population-level outcomes for the new obesity strategic framework is also being published today.

A copy of the report is available online at https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/strategic-framework-prevent-harm-caused-obesity-and-improve-diets-and-levels-physical-activity.

The consultation findings indicate overwhelming support and emphasise the need to redouble efforts to prevent overweight and obesity, while also calling for a holistic, patient-centred approach to obesity management. Respondents have highlighted the importance of addressing health inequalities, promoting community engagement, and ensuring equitable access to resources and support for marginalised populations. The focus is shifting from individual responsibility to systemic changes that foster healthier environments.

Work is now well advanced on the finalisation of the ‘Healthy Futures’ obesity strategic framework, with an aim to publish this in 2025.