A user-friendly digital hub developed by NHS Midlands and Lancashire streamlines referrals and offers personalised access to the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme (DWMP), focusing on uptake by people living with obesity and related health conditions. It is believed to be the world’s first end-to-end digital pathway.

Background

Managing weight and reducing obesity have become major health issues in recent years and the realisation that a service user’s weight can have a major impact upon their experience of – and recovery from – COVID-19 has only made the issue more pressing.

The web-based Digital Weight Management Hub (Hub) has been developed to give eligible individuals access to tier two weight management services delivered digitally as part of the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme (DWMP).

The Hub was launched in April 2021 initially allowing NHS staff to self refer. Since then following pathways have been added:

• GP via e-Referrals
• Pharmacy referrals
• Musculoskeletal
• Elective care referrals.

The Hub also has the capability to accept self referrals from the general public. However, this is not live yet.

Action

NHS Midlands and Lancashire, in collaboration with NHS England (NHSE), developed the Hub using a person-centred design approach. The Hub enables individuals to choose a weight management product that they feel they can connect with most successfully and which provides a flexible and tailored service to match their individual needs.

A triage algorithm assesses the user’s likelihood of completing the programme and recommends an appropriate level of intervention. They are then presented with a choice of providers and can select the one that fits their needs. The system shares key information with the chosen provider to help users register and start the programme quickly.

Target groups

The NHS DWMP targets individuals living with obesity (BMI 30+, adjusted for ethnicity) who also have diabetes or hypertension — groups where interventions can significantly improve health outcomes, reduce health inequalities and lower costs.

The Hub is specifically designed to support effective weight management for these individuals through personalised interventions. These are delivered by commercial providers and tailored to reach underserved groups, including people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, men, younger people and those living in deprived areas.​

Digital components

The Hub includes several state-of-the-art digital components which facilitate a large number of referrals through the Hub providing value for money. These components include:

• Chatbot calls to service users
• Text messaging via GOV.UK Notify
• Real-time communication with weight management providers through application programming interface (API) technology
• Patient tracing via the NHS Spine through the Hub API by way of business intelligence.

The Hub is also capable of sending clinical correspondence digitally to GPs and to extract referrals directly from the national e-Referrals service. 

Using API technology has also enabled us to validates invoices raised by digital weight management providers and share these with NHS England, using real-time data available in the Hub.

Expertise

The project drew from a wide variety of expertise from across NHS Midlands and Lancashire:

• Digital Innovation Unit – technical lead and developer of the Hub
• Referral Management Centre – support to patients in navigating the pathway and help GPs with the referral process.
• Business Intelligence – data collection to report to NHS England
• Communications and Engagement – support user engagement during the development stages to ensure user feedback influenced the usability of the Hub.

Impact

As of May 2025, over half a million patients have been referred to the Hub since its launch.

The Hub delivers:

• A single access point for health professionals and service users
• The ability for health professionals to allocate users to suitable digital weight management services
• A choice of providers aligned with the user’s assessed intervention level
• Seamless transfer of eligibility and referral information to the selected provider.

Since its launch, the Hub has been integrated with national systems such as the NHS e-Referral Service and, from mid-2023, NHS Login — enhancing both clinical and user experience.

To date, around 6,000 general practices have referred patients via the Hub, with all practices in England now able to participate. Staff have reported significant time savings thanks to digital referral templates and automated processes.

Referrals are automatically generated through an API, enabling swift contact with service users. Users can access the Hub via smartphone or computer, follow simple steps to choose a provider and begin their programme without delays.

The Hub has delivered measurable efficiency gains in reducing admin burden, streamlining user journeys and improving completion rates. This digital-first approach also supports cost savings by reducing the need for more intensive future interventions for individuals with weight management issues. The automated simple process also leaves NHS staff free to concentrate on other tasks.

Feedback

“Since starting work with NHS ML 18 months ago, our working relationship has flourished. Together we have embraced a true partnership working approach managed through our open and honest communication channels and also the shared goal of delivering a high quality service to our patients. NHS ML demonstrate excellence in their technical ability and business management approach and the team take a proactive problem solving approach to improving the services delivered.  We have no hesitation in continuing to work together with NHS ML.”​

Katharine Taylor, Senior Programme Manager – Obesity Lead, Prevention Programme, NHS England​

“Very simplistic process and easy to follow. From what I remember it was only about 6/7 steps so very user friendly.”

“It was simple to use and and quick to use. Very easy to understand.”

“It looks great on the phone and really easy to use !!”

“All went smoothly. Received a text message, clicked the link, answered all questions through to choosing the provider, shut it down and clicked back on the link in the message. Previous answers were pre-filled, chose the provider and it said everything completed. No issues.”

Feedback from early testers

For more information

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