Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: In England, 64% of adults are overweight or living with obesity, creating significant capacity constraints delaying NHS implementation of funded treatments, such as GLP-1RAs. The private market has subsequently expanded, with 1.6 million patients currently paying out-of-pocket. Since digital care pathways can optimise capacity and patient access, the NHS is contracting with third-party digital providers for end-to-end weight management services. This research evaluates the impact of these new digital technologies on NHS workforce capacity and costs in South East London.
METHODS: Two treatment pathway scenarios were assessed to determine their impact on cost and workforce capacity within South East London. The patient sample size (up to n=1000) was based on an ongoing regional study evaluating a NICE-approved digital technology commissioned by the South London Innovation Network. The baseline pathway assumed an appointment resource allocation per patient episode across a multidisciplinary team.

Scenario 1: Primary care delivery of the existing tirzepatide pathway, adhering to NICE TA1026Scenario 2: A hypothetical hybrid wrap-around digital model that utilises technology for weight management support while omitting primary care prescribing and monitoring.

RESULTS: Scenario 1 required a total of 41,581 appointments at a total cost of £1,192,298. Scenario 2 reduced appointments to 8,703 and the total cost (including technology costs) to £696,513, representing a 79.1% reduction in required primary care appointments, and a 41.6% reduction in total costs.
CONCLUSIONS: Digital care pathways offer a highly capacity- and cost-saving model in weight management, enabling improved patient access to NICE-approved medicines. A comprehensive digital pathway, currently available to many NHS patients, could further expand access to obesity treatments and holistic care. Nevertheless, these pathways must remain personalised; hybrid models incorporating clinician consultations could provide a necessary alternative for patients requiring face-to-face care.