Question reference: S6W-26651
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 3 April 2024
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Current status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 April 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of NHS weight management services in preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes, in light of the reportedly significant increase in referrals since 2019.
Answer
At present, no assessment has been made of the effectiveness of NHS weight management services in preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes. However, it is encouraging that increases in referrals to weight management services has been reported in the latest statistics.
Prior to 2019, there was a lack of standardised information collected by NHS Boards to enable tracking of provision of weight management services. Approved by the Scottish Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Framework Oversight Group, a core dataset was developed in collaboration with Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland (PHS) and NHS Boards. The core dataset ensures consistency and comparability in the data being collected.
Data on referrals to weight management and type 2 diabetes prevention services was first published by PHS in May 2021 and the latest data was published March 2024 . The publication is currently classed as Official Statistics in development. The core dataset and reporting provides health boards with insight and direction as to future planning of type 2 diabetes prevention and weight management services.
We will continue to improve data collection and monitoring to assess the impact of NHS weight management services in Scotland.