15 Oct 2025
How HQIP’s patient advocates are guiding national obesity care.
It’s estimated that one in four adults is currently living with obesity, a serious health condition that significantly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. This comes at an enormous cost that far exceeds financial implications. Living with obesity can affect quality of life, and have wide-reaching implications relating to mental health, employment and many other issues. So it’s paramount that care is effective. To achieve that, it needs to be delivered in the right way – and that’s where HQIP’s patient advocates come in…
Meet Aurora. She is a young professional working in HR & Finance in London. Nothing too unusual about that, you might think. However, thanks to Aurora – and others like her – the NHS is able to tailor its obesity prevention programme (including the use of ‘weight loss injections’) so that it better meets the needs of patients. Then, it is more likely to be successful, leading to a healthier, happier nation.
“I believe that healthcare services are stronger and more effective when they are shaped by the people who use them”
HQIP is proud to play a pivotal role in this initiative. We have long-since run a Service User Network (SUN), who support HQIP-commissioned programmes by guiding and co-creating our work. By working in partnership, HQIP and our patient advocates have built a reputation for promoting the use of plain language and accessible processes. This is how we came to establish a specific Obesity User Panel in April 2022. HQIP is a long-term partner of NHS England, and we were initially approached by them to provide patient input into a dashboard they were putting together on obesity care, to make it accessible and inclusive.
The success of this initial interaction meant that the Panel was asked to provide feedback on other aspects of NHS obesity prevention work. For example, supporting the development of an accessible user guide, to support the use of the dashboard. At first the Panel comprised of 20 patients, but this grew to 30 by 2025, following a request from NHS England to increase the numbers – due to an escalation in interest about new treatments such as ‘obesity jabs’. It also meant that we were able to better represent the wider patient community, and have more diverse experience and cultural backgrounds included in decision making.
“It’s great to know that service design will better reflect patient priorities as a result”
Aurora explains why she became involved: “I joined the Panel, after seeing an advert from HQIP asking for people with lived experience of obesity healthcare services, in the Patient Association newsletter. I was immediately interested since, at the time, there was uncertainty as to which care pathway I should follow. I began weight management around three years ago, and my experience has not always been the easiest, which showed me how important it is for the patient perspective to be heard. Every patient journey is different. Some people seek help first via A&E, and some via their GP etc but, in my experience, many go ‘around the houses’ within the system to find the help they need. I have received both Level 2 and Level 3 treatments, and tried digital weight management programmes as well as injections. But I was finding that it was very time-consuming to piece together the different aspects of my care, such as obtaining results from different departments, and linking between both the primary and secondary care systems. In short, I wanted to get involved because I believe that healthcare services are stronger and more effective when they are shaped by the people who use them.”
“There is a genuine willingness from NHS England, to adjust their plans based on what we tell them”
What does your involvement look like in practice?
“We are involved in many different things. We might be asked to share our views on proposed approaches to implementing a new provision, or our experience about access to services, and we are often asked to provide feedback into patient resources and materials. Previously, we worked together with HQIP on a response to a NICE* consultation on obesity care; while more recently, we provided input into wrap-around care. HQIP held a focus group, attended by NHS England, to understand patients’ views on the wider aspects of care such as mental health and communications etc. More generally, we participate in online meetings and focus groups, and provide one-to-one feedback via surveys and by email. For me, I always try to make the most of being involved, by asking questions and identifying potential impacts for patients.”
What are the benefits, and challenges, of being involved?
“I genuinely feel that my view is taken into account. I simply couldn’t commit the time if I didn’t feel that my voice was being listened to. I have to juggle many things to be involved as, in addition to work, I also have caring responsibilities. It’s that important to me. There is a genuine willingness from NHS England, to adjust their plans based on what we tell them. For instance, we have said that there is a need to take into account individual and cultural differences, such as dietary habits and barriers to accessing services; and NHS England is listening to this important feedback. It’s great to know that service design will better reflect patient priorities as a result.
Also, the User Panel is a really collaborative experience, we are a community. Everyone values each other’s input. When I am together with people with similar experiences, I am able to learn from them. Their insights and perspective can – and have – helped me to better understand my own condition and care. For example, I can find out about the experience of someone who is accessing services in another part of the country.”
“The User Panel is a really collaborative experience, we are a community”
“However, there are some challenges, as there are with any activity like this. Time is restricted and effort needs to be made to make sure that all voices are heard, particularly if someone has a complex medical history. Then there’s the terminology – for some, not having a great health literacy can be a challenge. But HQIP takes our needs into consideration, and makes adjustments where possible. For example, they provide information in advance about deadlines and any preparation that is needed, and they have changed the way they communicate with the whole group.”
From HQIP’s point of view, we are grateful to patient partners like Aurora, who dedicate time and energy to share insights about their care and treatment. As she has stated here – and as outlined in key government strategies such as the 10 Year Health Plan for England – patient engagement is crucial for healthcare. We are starting to see strategies that are more culturally sensitive which support tailored health interventions for communities where, for example, there may be less awareness of healthy eating habits or lifestyle changes. One important recent change is that health conditions (rather than just BMI) should inform care, with adjustments made to BMI thresholds for certain ethnic groups based on increased health risks. There’s also an acknowledgement more generally that services, public health campaigns and outreach efforts need to be more localised and culturally relevant, and involve community leaders. Only by working closely with patients and communities, can we truly understand their priorities and concerns, and deliver services that meet all of our needs.
So, what’s next for Aurora? Her weight loss journey continues, albeit temporarily halted due to unrelated surgery. However, she continues to be an invaluable asset to HQIP’s Obesity User Panel. In fact, she has since been invited to join our Service User Network (SUN), providing insights and feedback to all of our work. But what are her hopes for the future? “We need to continue to engage patients in decisions made about care, and inform them about the impact of those decisions, taking into account both the medical and social factors that patients face. I would like to see more holistic care provided, where the different services are joined up. And I would like to see everything explained clearly, in an accessible way. However, I am proud to be part of a process that will, in my opinion, lead to these changes being made. As such, I look forward to a future where obesity – indeed, all – care is realistic, compassionate and personalised.”
Further information
*National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
