Health Innovation West Midlands (HIWM) has played a key role in supporting NHS organisations across the region to secure funding through Innovate UK’s Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme (OPIP) — part of an £85 million national investment to transform obesity care across the UK.

Across the Midlands, the health innovation networks have supported four successful programmes in their funding applications — two in the West Midlands and two in the East Midlands — representing around a third of all successful projects nationally. Together, these programmes position the Midlands to deliver innovation at scale, improving access to care and outcomes for local populations.

The three-year programmes, funded by Innovate UK in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Eli Lilly, aim to accelerate innovation in obesity care, improve access to treatment and tackle health inequalities.

Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) across the West Midlands — including Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country (the BRIDGE Project), and Coventry and Warwickshire (CW-OPIP) — are among those awarded funding to deliver ambitious, large-scale programmes that will transform how obesity services are designed and delivered.

The successful programmes will bring together NHS organisations, academia, industry partners, local authorities and community organisations to deliver innovative, community and primary care-based obesity pathways.

These pathways will enable more joined-up, accessible and personalised approaches to weight management, with a strong focus on prevention, early intervention and reducing inequalities.

Across the region, the funded programmes will:

• Improve access to obesity care through digital and community-based services
• Reduce barriers such as long waiting times, fragmented pathways and health inequalities
• Deliver more personalised, integrated support tailored to local population needs
• Generate evidence to inform future NHS models of care

Health Innovation West Midlands worked closely with ICBs throughout the OPIP application process, with this work led by Head of Delivery, Rabia Gowa in partnership with BidShaper Ltd, supporting opportunity identification, early mobilisation and the development of collaborative bids.

This included supporting the convening of partners across systems to co-design proposals, providing specialist bid-writing expertise, applying a structured methodological approach across the application and interview stages, and offering expertise and insight into the Innovate UK process to strengthen submissions.

HIWM also contributed proposals for project management and data analytics, with project management support now progressing as part of programme delivery.

Amanda Risino, Chief Executive Officer, Health Innovation West Midlands, said:

“The Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme represents an important step forward in delivering more proactive, personalised and accessible obesity care.

This investment will accelerate the shift towards prevention, early intervention and more integrated care — helping people access the right support, at the right time, closer to home.

Tackling obesity requires system-wide collaboration, and this programme demonstrates the value of bringing together the NHS, academia, industry and communities to address complex health challenges.

We are proud to have supported partners across the region to secure this funding and look forward to the impact these programmes will deliver.”

Dr Jonathan Hazlehurst, Consultant Endocrinologist, University Hospital Birmingham and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at University of Birmingham, said:

“Obesity is one of the most significant public health challenges facing our communities, yet too many people are unable to access the support they need.

“Through BRIDGE, we are creating a more equitable, patient-centred system that makes it easier for people to access high-quality care while reducing pressure on frontline NHS services. This programme gives us an opportunity to design services around the needs of our population and ensure support reaches those who have traditionally faced barriers.

“Patients should not come forward or approach their GP practise about this program at this stage as the program includes a gradual phased roll-out”

The programmes are expected to begin phased implementation this year, with initial pilots followed by wider rollout. They support national ambitions to deliver more care closer to home, harness digital services, and place greater emphasis on prevention alongside treatment.

HIWM will continue working with partners across the region to maximise the impact of these investments, supporting implementation and helping to spread effective approaches at scale across the NHS.

About the Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme

The Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme is designed to simplify access to a range of weight loss interventions including lifestyle wraparound services such as nutritionists, psychologists, social prescribing, and, where clinically appropriate, pharmaceutical obesity treatments. Find out more

About the Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country project

The project will use a smart digital system to connect patients to tailored clinical support and weight management medications through multiple routes, so that those least likely to seek help can still be reached. The project prioritises those who have historically struggled to access services, including teenagers and young adults, people living with serious mental illness and patients who need to lose weight before orthopaedic procedures such as hip or knee replacement. Find out more.

About the Coventry and Warwickshire project

This project will offer new digital tools, neighbourhood lifestyle groups, community clinics providing weight loss medications, and specialist outreach services across Coventry and Warwickshire. The project will also include a mobile healthcare clinic to reach people in underserved rural and urban.