GIRFT is sharing new resources to strengthen the delivery of bariatric and metabolic services across England – helping to ease pressure on elective, urgent and emergency care.
A new pathway for bariatric surgery and guidance on the management of bariatric surgery referral-to-treatment (RTT) pathways are now available on the GIRFT website, co-badged by the British Obesity and Metabolic Specialist Society (BOMSS) and the Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery of Great Britain and Ireland (AUGIS)
Bariatric surgery is a group of weight‑loss procedures – such as laparoscopic gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy – which alter the digestive system to help people with obesity lose weight and reduce the risks of diabetes, heart disease and sleep apnoea.
Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is one of the most effective and cost-effective treatments for severe obesity, but access to bariatric surgery in England remains limited – around 30,000 people accessed bariatric surgery between 2017 and 2023, while the number of people who could clinically benefit is estimated at one million.
GIRFT’s new detailed pathway for bariatric surgery outlines best practice at every stage of the patient journey, from referral and assessment through to discharge and follow-up.
The supporting RTT guidance, which aligns with NHS England’s Recording and reporting referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times for consultant led elective care, offers advice for the key events along both standard and non-standard pathways for bariatric surgery, showing the RTT status, rationale and guidance. Principles and minimum standards for active monitoring are also included, as well as advice for tracking and recall, ending a period of active monitoring and governance and oversight, and some example scenarios.
