A shared digital platform is set to be developed as part of a ‘once for Scotland’ prevention programme for obesity.
The new system will allow people to access the right support at the right time – ranging from self-management tools and community services through to specialist clinical care.
The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) has been commissioned by two health boards to help develop the solution – which it is hoped can eventually be scaled up across the country.
It is among a dozen cutting-edge projects will see thousands of patients across the UK benefiting from new approaches to tackling obesity.
Almost one third of adults (31%) in Scotland were living with the condition in 2024, according to statistics from the Scottish Government’s most recent Scottish Health Survey.
The funding, from the UK Government, has been allocated to NHS Lothian and NHS Lanarkshire, who in turn commissioned DHI to support the delivery of the Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme (OPIP).
They will work with both boards and a wider consortium to co-design and implement integrated, end-to-end weight management pathways.
As a commissioned partner, DHI’s role spans co-design with patients and professionals, digital platform development, programme facilitation, and contract management.
The programme will be delivered through a collaborative consortium that includes Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Public Service Delivery Scotland, Defence Medical Command and a range of Scottish SMEs, ‘ensuring a blend of national capability and local innovation’.
Chaloner Chute, chief technology officer at DHI, said: “The deep co-design work we have undertaken with patients and staff reveals a critical opportunity to modernise weight management delivery.
“The clear consensus is that we need a ‘Once for Scotland’ approach – one that bridges existing gaps, prioritises prevention, and embeds self-management at its core. This UKRI-funded project is a significant milestone for digital health and care, providing DHI with the resources to help the NHS accelerate innovation and rise to these unprecedented service challenges.”
By creating reusable digital capabilities and infrastructure, the programme will generate assets that can be adopted and scaled across NHS Scotland, supporting future services beyond weight management.