Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust embeds Healthy Weight Declaration in system-wide change

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust has made significant strides in embedding a whole systems approach to healthy weight across its organisation, following the adoption of the NHS Healthy Weight Declaration (HWD) in November 2022. The initiative, delivered in collaboration with Northumberland County Council and North Tyneside Council, signals a commitment to tackling the underlying causes of obesity through sustained, preventative action.

Three years on from adopting the declaration, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust’s Healthy Weight Declaration has been recognised as Best Sustainable Initiative by the UK Public Health Register Awards — a testament to its whole-system, long-term commitment to healthier weight.

The Trust has successfully aligned the HWD with existing strategic frameworks including its Staff Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Food and Drink Strategy. By securing executive leadership support and embedding the declaration within Trust-wide policies, Northumbria has established a foundation for long-term change.

Key to this progress has been the creation of a comprehensive action plan, featuring 13 national commitments and bespoke organisational goals. These include enhancing staff wellbeing through targeted health interventions like mini-MOTs, a home blood pressure monitoring pilot, and a step challenge, promoting active travel through cycling infrastructure and e-bike schemes and developing training. Northumbria have reviewed their food and drink strategy to align with the HWD and developed new guidance of catering for meetings and events as well as reviewing the wider food offer and developing a 3 year plan to support healthier choices across NHS sites.

Northumbria is also addressing weight stigma and supporting healthy weight in pregnancy; priorities which align with their wider health inequality agenda. Development of “Helpful conversations about weight” training and successful implementation of Making Every Contact Count (MECC) training and embedded approach along with a new interactive tool developed in collaboration with Keele University to enable staff to have non-judgemental, supportive conversations about weight. The Trust have developed a weight stigma checklist to help ensure hospital environments are inclusive for people living with obesity. The checklist has been embedded in relevant policies  and work has started to build this into policy for new builds and refurbishments.

The Trust’s approach is underpinned by rigorous planning, monitoring, a strong communications plan, and continued partnership with local authorities. Formal evaluation, conducted by Northumbria University, will further guide future strategy.

Alistair Blair, Executive Medical Director said:

“Northumbria’s commitment to the healthy weight declaration is throughout the organisation from our board to our most remote sites, and is part of our approach to increasing the health of our staff, our most vital assets, and our patients.”

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust’s implementation of the NHS HWD demonstrates what can be achieved when system leadership, evidence-informed planning, and cross-sector collaboration converge. It is a model of proactive, place-based prevention, that improves health outcomes while contributing to broader NHS goals around sustainability, equity, and workforce wellbeing. Further information is available below.

To read more about how Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust adopted, implemented and evaluated the NHS HWD, click here and you can access a poster presentation here.