The Health Minister has announced details of phase one of the £5
million Regional Obesity Management Service (ROMS) for Northern
Ireland.
Obesity is one of Northern Ireland's biggest public health
issues, with 65% of adults living with obesity or excess weight,
and has many contributing factors. ROMS will help tackle
obesity, enabling adult patients to access weight loss
medication, if clinically appropriate and in line with National
Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, as
well as lifestyle support to ensure maximum
effectiveness.
ROMS is expected to be rolled out in early Autumn 2026 and will
focus on those people with the highest clinical need to optimise
health benefits.
Health Minister said:
This is a very important day for Northern Ireland as this new
service will help improve the lives of many people. Obesity is a
significant public health issue and those living with being
overweight or obese are at a higher risk of a range of major
health conditions including heart disease, stroke, type 2
diabetes and some cancers.
This service aligns with my vision for the future of Health and
Social Care (HSC), shifting left and bringing care closer to
people's front doors, as set out in my recently published
Neighbourhood Model of health and wellbeing.
Health inequalities has been one of my main areas of focus since
I became Health Minster. Obesity disproportionately affects those
from disadvantaged communities (68%) compared to the least
disadvantaged (62%). The shift from treating ill health to
helping people stay well will support longer, healthier, and more
active lives, bringing Northern Ireland in line with the rest of
the UK and improving health outcomes.
ROMS will be implemented alongside the new Obesity Pathway
Innovation Programme (OPIP). This programme has received a £7
million share of an £85 million envelope from the UK Government
and pharmaceutical company, Lilly, and will be delivered in
partnership with the community and voluntary sector.
The service, which also received £2 million funding from the
Department of Health, will provide multiple routes into support,
including access to a range of social prescribing provision and
self-referral. This means people can refer themselves and work
with a HSC clinician to set personal goals, avoiding the need to
be referred by a GP.
Minister Nesbit added:
"OPIP is a very welcome initiative that has been secured in
partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Northern
Ireland Health Collective. This partnership allows us to work
with a range of HSC organisations and voluntary and community
sector to ensure effective service delivery, supporting people in
their communities."
Delivery of OPIP will commence in August with implementation of
the ROMS beginning in Autumn 2026, with an initial focus on
individuals with the highest clinical need.
Collectively, both initiatives will see significant additional
investment being provided in the important area of tackling
obesity and will offer enhanced levels of support to those
impacted.
Notes to editors:
1. You can see the full DSIT press release including
details of the OPIP programme and all projects here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pioneering-projects-to-transform-obesity-care-backed-by-85-million-from-government-and-industry(external
link opens in a new window / tab)
2. Phase one of ROMS is for adults aged 18 and over with a BMI
above 45 and at least one of the following health conditions:
atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (including ischaemic heart
disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and heart failure)
hypertension (high blood pressure requiring medication)
dyslipidaemia (raised cholesterol or triglycerides)
obstructive sleep apnoea (confirmed by sleep study)
type 2 diabetes
3. OPIP - If your BMI is in the range of 30 to 39.9, you may be
eligible for a new weight management programme service called the
Obesity Pathway Innovation Project Programme (OPIP).
3. Further details on how ROMS and OPIP will be delivered will be
delivered will be available in due course.
2. £20 million has been invested to tackle the issue of obesity
Northern Ireland. This includes funding from the Department of
Health, as well as external funding, such as this Eli Lilly
funding (alongside DSIT), and INTERREG funded PEACEPLUS projects
such as the HEALTHY FUTURES
project(external link opens in a new window / tab)secured
through CAWT Co-operation and Working Together and The PEACETIME
project.(external link opens in a new window / tab)
4. In November 2023, the Department launched a consultation
seeking views from the public on the introduction of an obesity
management service. The outcome of the consultation, which
yielded just under 19,000 responses, was overwhelming in favour
of introducing this service to Northern Ireland. A report
summarising the public consultation on the proposed ROMS
introduction as published last year: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/proposed-regional-obesity-management-service-roms-northern-ireland
