‘Postcode lottery’ for obese patients

Obese patients face a postcode lottery over specialist care available from GPs and healthcare trusts, it has been claimed.

A senior clinical researcher believes health providers are putting too much emphasis on surgery to treat obesity, with early stage weight management programmes preferable instead.

Dr Nick Finer, clinical director at the Wellcome clinical research facility at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge, said anti-obesity drugs were much more cost effective.

In a speech to the winter meeting of the British Pharmacological Society he will add that in some patients early potential for drug treatment to prevent the later need for surgery is being missed – due to the reluctance of primary care doctors to treat obesity.

“About one third of people taking the two drugs currently licensed for obesity management, in conjunction with a diet and lifestyle programme, will achieve a ten per cent weight loss and around half a five per cent loss. Weight loss is well maintained if drug treatment is continued,” Dr Finer is expected to say.

He claims there is still “strong antipathy” from doctors towards investing in obesity management and wants Nice guidelines to be implemented to end the postcode lottery over specialist care access.