service redesign
Milton Keynes’ population of nearly 230,000 people is a diverse, young, urban one, where life expectancy is increasing. NHS Milton Keynes identified weight management for children and young people as a local priority. The pathway was selected as one of the projects for Quality:MK, a quality improvement programme working to establish a whole system approach to improving health care in Milton Keynes that is driven by primary care, patient engagement and evidence-based practice.
Long term, the outcomes of the project will result in reduced rates of overweight and obese individuals in Milton Keynes. This will improve the life expectancy of the population due to a decreased risk of long term illness and disease. Individuals will have increased strength, mobility and greater capacity to live life without extra care.
Role of the Map
By developing a pathway that could address and treat the issue of obesity, NHS Milton Keynes introduced a systematic evidence-based approach to weight management in primary care. The pathway aimed to ensure that healthcare staff could access information on local services, contact details for referrals to the specialist service and evidence-based national guidelines.
Milestones
- Formation of a Task and Finish (TaF) group to support and guide the development of the local weight management pathway for children and young people on the Map of Medicine.
- Two business cases secured partial funding. The first service was a community weight management project (Motiv8), a partnership project between NHS Milton Keynes and MK Dons Sports and Education Trust, and the second one was the Specialist Obesity Clinic.
- Targeted communications and deployment plan for the pathway, together with weight management targets.
- Information on the pathway and the local services was shared with health professionals in obesity information sessions. The project also used an online survey to measure knowledge and confidence on treating overweight and obese patients and to assess the number of practices using the pathway.
Challenges
The Task and Finish group was formed to deal with the weight management pathway for both children and adults. It was later found that the two populations needed very different specialist advice, therefore the groups were divided, delaying the progress of both pathways.
Results
The development of the local pathway for overweight and obese children resulted in the introduction of community based specialist services that use evidence-based approaches to weight management. Healthcare professionals in primary care are now confident and clear about their role in supporting individuals to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and know when and where to refer their patients to specialist services. Together with the MK Dons Sports and Education Trust, a partnership children’s weight management programme for all children aged five to 16 years, called Motiv8, has been developed.
A specialist obesity clinic was fully funded and run by a multidisciplinary team, and the service is currently being delivered by the Community Health Service. This service includes care planning from a Consultant Paediatrician and input from a Health Promotion Dietician.