Morbid Obesity Surgical Services

What are morbid obesity surgical services?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a calculation used to work out how overweight people are by using their weight and height measurements to determine a score. People considered a healthy weight have a BMI between 20kg/m2 and 25kg/m2. A person is usually considered morbidly obese when they have a BMI of over 40 kg/m2. A morbidly obese person is considered to have a body weight high enough to pose a severe risk to their health, which could mean that they have a reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems.

Morbid obesity surgery, often referred to as bariatric surgery (which could include gastric band or gastric bypass surgery), is a recommended treatment option for people who are morbidly obese.

Review of morbid obesity surgical services in the Yorkshire and Humber region

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is an organisation that advises the NHS when a clinical treatment (or set of clinical procedures) is considered highly clinically effective, cost effective and safe.

NICE has issued some guidelines that PCTs may consider when commissioning morbid obesity surgery. These take into account the clinical effectiveness of treatment, money saved due to the reduction in weight after surgery and any costs of aftercare.

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are responsible for funding NHS treatment locally. The PCTs in this region are currently reviewing the criteria for funding surgery for individuals who are morbidly obese.

Reason for the survey

We want to understand your views on NHS funded surgery for people who are considered morbidly obese. As such we are working with patients, carers, members of the public, health care professionals and a number of organisations to understand these views. This questionnaire forms part of this process.

How to respond to the questionnaire

Please return your completed questionnaire no later than Monday 10 January 2011 by either:

Completing the questionnaire online
To complete the questionnaire online, please click here. 

Completing and returning a paper copy

To download a paper copy of the questionnaire, please click here or use the link below.

For further information about this review, or to request or return a paper copy please contact Claire Clayton, Team Administrator, Communications and Engagement Team, NHS Barnsley, Hillder House, 49/51 Gawber Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 2PY, telephone: 01226 433681 or email, claire.clayton@barnsleypct.nhs.uk

If you would like this information in another format, such as large print or another language, please call 01226 43 3678,
or email: enquiries@barnsleypct.nhs.uk

What will happen next?

Responses to this questionnaire will be used to shape recommendations on how morbid obesity surgical services should be commissioned. Further information will be posted on the SCG website www.yhscg.nhs.uk  

Related sites

Yorkshire & Humber Specialised Commissioning Group

Related downloads

| Morbid Obesity Surgical Services Questionnaire.pdf (0.07 MB)

Morbid obesity - engagement report March 2011.doc (0.88 MB)