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We need your help: Opportunity for all health professionals to have their say about weight management in primary and community care in Wales.

Published: 1 June 2021

Public Health Wales’ Primary Care Hub, has commissioned a survey that calls for all frontline healthcare professionals to take part and share opinions on having effective weight management conversations with patients.

The results will be used to prioritise and promote these needs and enable professionals to provide effective, streamlined, person centred care for patients experiencing overweight and obesity, in line with the All Wales Weight Management Pathways.

The survey will take 10-15 minutes to complete. It is simple and easy to respond to, and all answers will be anonymous. Should you wish to be involved further and take part in a telephone in-depth discussion, there will be opportunity to volunteer at the end of the survey.

Please feel free to share this survey with any colleagues within your organisation, using the above link. 

It has been 10 years since the publication of The All Wales Obesity Pathway and following a review, a new All Wales Weight Management Pathway is due to be published in 2021. Obesity is everyone’s business, therefore this survey is an opportunity for all professionals within health and social care to have a say about weight management in primary and community care in Wales.

We would like you to highlight any requirements, such as training, resources or time for example, that you need in order to have effective weight conversations with patients and share your professional and personal opinions on weight and weight management conversations. Any barriers and challenges faced by professionals and patients will be identified and findings will be used to inform and influence the successful adoption of the weight management pathway in primary care, ensuring the voice of the workforce is considered and listened to.

In Wales, national data suggests that 61 per cent of adults are overweight and 25 per cent, obese. The Burden of Disease in Wales Report (2018) identified high Body Mass Index (BMI) as the leading risk factor for years living with disability and is one of the top three risk factors for disability adjusted life years. High BMI is a leading risk factor for a number of chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, musculoskeletal conditions and significantly increases risk of disability and early mortality.

Healthy Weight Healthy Wales Strategy is Welsh Governments strategy to reducing prevalence of obesity in current and future generations, taking a systems approach to obesity prevention and is a key deliverable within A Healthier Wales: Our Plan for Health and Social Care.

Public Health Wales has commissioned Hitch Marketing to undertake the development, delivery and analysis of the survey. All results will be used by Public Health Wales Primary Care Hub, to prioritise and promote the identified needs of primary and community care professionals in successfully adopting the All Wales Weight Management Pathways and providing streamline person centred care for patients experiencing overweight and obesity.

If you have any questions about this survey, please email charlotted@hitchmarketing.co.uk

Public Health Wales has a statutory responsibility to conduct and commission research that provides information that can protect the health of the people of Wales.

For information on this, please visit the UK Government website here: The Public Health Wales NHS Trust (Establishment) Order 2009

Survey Link

Public Health Wales weight and weight management survey