Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to offer an advanced service for community pharmacies to provide weight management to tackle obesity.

NHS England commissions National Health Service pharmaceutical services, of which advanced services are a category where community pharmacies can choose to provide the service as specified if they meet the necessary requirements. Most public health services, like weight management services, are commissioned locally by local authorities, according to need. A number of community pharmacies, in particular, Healthy Living Pharmacies (HLPs), have been commissioned locally to deliver weight management services.

The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework and NHS pharmaceutical services commissioned by NHS England align with one another; for example the New Medicine Service and Medicine Use Review service provide opportunities for pharmacists to discuss public health interventions including weight management.

HLPs with qualified health champions on site use appropriate interactions in the pharmacy as an opportunity for promoting healthy choices including conversations about weight management. The growth in HLPs has been encouraged by inclusion as one of the criteria for a quality payment, such that there are now over 9,400 HLPs in England.