Annex 2
WEIGHT WATCHERS' NHS PILOTS
1. Weight Watchers has been working with
four PCTs over the last two years to test how a partnership scheme
between the NHS and Weight Watchers could work and whether it
is effective.
These pilot partnership projects are with:
— the dietitians at Halton General
Hospital (The Widnes Story below) Cheshire;
— Burntwood Lichfield and Tamworth
PCT, (Midlands);
— Islington PCT ( inner London); and
— the Kepier Practice (Sunderland).
2. Initial qualitative research from the
pilot scheme in London indicated that all stakeholders (patients,
health practitioners, Weight Watchers Leaders) were highly supportive
of this type of scheme. However, the cost for the patient of attending
meetings was sometimes a barrier to them taking up the Weight
Watchers option and suggested that PCTs need to find creative
ways of funding these types of schemes to promote access.
3. The schemes have varied in their set
up, but generally have involved referral of patients for a course
of Weight Watchers meetings (10-13 week course) either to established
meetings or customised meetings set up for NHS patients.
4. The results are encouraging (see the
Widnes story) and overall suggest that PCTs can estimate that
over one third (33%) of patients will lose at least 5% and a fifth
will lose 10% or more of their starting weight following a 12
week course at Weight Watchers. This compares favourably with
other weight loss approaches and is beneficial in health terms.
This short term success looks promising in the context of Weight
Watchers evidence base on long term effectiveness shown in appendix
1.
5. Weight Watchers is now ready to release
a national referral scheme this spring. The shape and format of
this scheme have been informed by the four pilots. The scheme
will offer a 12 week course of Weight Watchers meetings to the
NHS for a specially discounted price of £35. The workings
of the scheme and its materials have been pre-tested in the field
with PCTs.
6. Weight Watchers acknowledge that moving
the referral scheme on to a national footing will present many
challenges. To enable us to respond we will approach the first
year cautiously and run it as a "living pilot". Plans
are in place to collect formal evaluative information on both
the process (how it works) and outcomes (how effective is it in
helping patients lose weight) of the national scheme. This evaluative
data will be collected early in 2006 and in this way Weight Watchers
will ensure that evaluative information is fed into the ongoing
development of the referral scheme to maximise its long term effectiveness.
Case Study: Weight Watchers Working With the NHS—The
Widnes Story
Weight Watchers has been working in partnership
with Halton General Hospital to offer a 10 week course made available
free of charge to overweight patients in a deprived area (Castlefields).
This project was set up with Single Regeneration Budget funds.
The area was such that the WW leader had to go in and run the
meeting with a PCT funded "minder" to ensure everybody's
safety. The project started in January 2003 and since then two
further meetings have been set up targeted at neighbouring deprived
localities. The project has flourished and WW members now also
have access to a Food Co-op, "Cook and Taste sessions"
run by a community food worker, and exercise sessions including
a Health Walks scheme. In the first year 59 patients signed up
for Weight Watchers and this has increased to 93 patients over
a 15 month period. Results of the initial evaluation suggested
this project is successful in many different ways. Key statistics
are:
— 31% of the total sample achieved
a 5% or more weight loss.
— Of those who completed 10 weeks,
49% lost 5% or more.
— The average starting weight was 101
kg and the mean weight loss was 3.2 kg.
— 80% of participants said that the
weight loss achieved through Weight Watchers had improved their
self esteem.
| 
