Tier 3 weight management services

For the treatment of

Obesity

Commissioning position

Referral to tier 3 weight management services must meet the clinical criteria set out below:

  • 1. Be over 18 years and over and registered with a HNY GP and referred by a GP
  • 2. Have a BMI ≥35kg/m2 with any one of the comorbidities listed:
    • Hypertension
    • Hyperinsulinaemia
    • Dyslipidaemia
    • Type 2 diabetes
    • Psychosocial dysfunction
    • Exacerbation of conditions such as asthma

      or a BMI ≥40kg/m2 without comorbidities

      These BMIs are reduced by 2.5kg/m2 for people from a South-Asian, Chinese, Black African or Caribbean family background.
  • 3. Have demonstrated that they have maximised primary care and community conservative management which must as a minimum include:
    • Receipt of healthy weight and lifestyle advice in primary care AND
    • Evidence of active participation in modification to exercise AND diet, which is patient- or GP-led, or delivered by an independent commercial service or Tier 2 service.
  • 4. Patients with a BMI ≥50kg/m2 may be referred directly without evidence of compliance with Tier 2 if they meet the other requirements and have been offered a trial of pharmacological interventions where there are no contra-indications.
  • 5. Have an understanding of the commitment required for a Tier 3 programme. This should include nutritional advice, exercise and lifestyle support AND are willing and able to engage and participate in ALL of these aspects of a Tier 3 programme.
  • 6. Weight loss goals must be met at 6 months to continue treatment into months 7 to 12.
     

Criteria for exclusion

Referrals should not be made for individuals who:

  • Have a BMI less than that stated in the inclusion criteria.
  • Have a diagnosed eating disorder, disordered eating, or complex mental health issues, for example suicidal ideation.
  • Referred from an inpatient mental health unit · Patients who are unable to participate in ALL of the components of a tier 3 weight management programme including nutritional advice, exercise, and lifestyle support
  • Require or request weight loss injections alone or require Very Low Calorie Diets.
  • Are referred for other medical/pharmaceutical management of obesity which sit outside of agreed pathways agreed by the ICB.
  • Have a greater nutrition risk, for example are receiving cancer treatment, or palliative care.
  • Are pregnant.
  • Have a diagnosis of active Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Have had previous bariatric surgery
  • Have previously been referred and accepted onto a tier 3 weight management service
  • Patients consuming more than 20 units of alcohol per week
  • Patients under investigation for cardiac disease

Summary of rationale

The criteria are supported by NICE Clinical Guidance 189 Obesity: identification, assessment and management.

People with South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African Caribbean family backgrounds have an equivalent risk of complications of obesity at a lower BMI than people from a White ethnic family background. For this reason, the BMI levels are reduced by 2.5kg/m2 in accordance with NICE Clinical Guideline CG189.

References

Recommendations | Obesity: identification, assessment and management | Guidance | NICE

Report of the Working Group into Joined Up Clinical Pathways for Obesity: owg-join-clinc-path.pdf 

Associated Pathways

There are no associated pathways.

Places covered by

  • east-riding
  • hull
  • north-east-lincolnshire
  • north-lincolnshire
  • north-yorkshire
  • vale-of-york
Author:
Date created: 21/08/2025, 09:50
Last modified: 21/08/2025, 09:51
Date of review: 2025/04/30