Following your initial assessment, you may be offered individual appointments with a psychologist. These appointments may be prior to a group, in place of a group, or following your attendance at the group. You will be included in these decisions so that you receive appropriate support.

A psychologist can help you to better understand your concerns that may be contributing to your difficulty losing weight and maintaining long-term weight loss. Many people find they have an emotional relationship with food or have simply built up unhelpful habits over time which can be difficult to change. Any individual appointments with psychology will focus on these issues, and aim to help you build alternative ways of coping.

Additionally, there are other services across the region that can provide psychological therapy and we may suggest that you contact them for additional support. This therapy could be an alternative (or more appropriate) source of support to our service, or it could be provided alongside it, depending on your needs. In some cases we may suggest that your GP provides your referral. We will discuss these options with you, if they are appropriate.

Following your initial assessment, depending on your circumstances, you may be offered individual appointments with the dietitian. These appointments with the dietitian may be prior to a group, in replace of a group, or following your attendance at the group. You will be included in these decisions.

During your appointment with the dietitian, you can expect to discuss:

• The key points of a balanced diet.
• Portion sizes and techniques to help with reducing them.
• Planning and preparation of meals.
• Helpful snacks.
• Triggers to eating.
• Energy balance.
• Managing hunger.
• Problem solving.

Our groups are called ‘Mood and Food’ and are currently run from Southmead Hospital for our Bristol patients and from Melksham Town Hall for our Wiltshire patients.

The Mood and Food groups are a great opportunity for you to meet with others from similar situations and to share and learn from each other’s experiences.

Mood and Food groups involve 8 sessions run either weekly or fortnightly. Each session lasts 2hours and 15minutes and we ensure there is a break half way through each session.

The groups are supportive, non-judgemental and take into account your individual circumstances. They are structured to allow time for both information giving and discussions. Each week will focus on a different theme and will typically build on previous topics.

The group content provides:

• New ways of managing thoughts and feelings without turning to food, to help you feel more in control of your eating and weight
• Interactive dietary education and advice to include portion sizes, planning meals, energy balance and managing your hunger
• A weight loss surgery session for those individuals who wish to consider progressing on to bariatric weight loss surgery.

Following the completion of a group, there are frequent drop-in sessions where you can weigh in and talk through any challenges that you may be experiencing with the facilitators.

Previous group members have told us:

‘’I feel more confident in my approach to weight loss”

“Has helped me make conscious decisions about my food and lifestyle.”

“Helped me so much to mentally prepare & learn about foods and reasons why I eat.”

“I now believe I am in control and know how to look at what is making me want to eat.”

“I have felt empowered and liked the positivity of the group and staff.”

Your first appointment will be at Southmead Hospital, Bristol where you will meet with the Consultant and Dietitian for an initial assessment. As a result, please plan to be at the hospital for approximately two hours. Some people may require an assessment with our Psychologist, which will be done at a later date.

The assessment will focus on understanding how your weight is impacting on you and consider your motivation and commitment to change. We will also check that you have no reversible medical cause of obesity, or other medical problems that need treatment. Further tests may be arranged as necessary.

Following this assessment, we will discuss options with you and if appropriate we will arrange for you to attend sessions around emotional eating and/ or nutrition. The sessions are usually in groups but individual sessions with a psychologist and/or dietitian can be provided if there is a reason groups are not suitable.

At the end of six months, you will be reassessed by the Consultant. At this time we will discuss with you your options, which may include:

• Being discharged from the service
• Being offered a further 6 months of lower level support from us
• Referral to the Tier 4 Bariatric service for weight loss surgery. Referral for surgery can only be made if all the team are in agreement regarding your readiness for surgery; you have made relevant behavioural changes and met your 5% weight loss target.

The results of your reassessment will be sent to your GP and/or the Tier 4 Bariatric service if we agree to refer you there.

If you have not met the 5% weight loss target, reasons for this will be explored with you. If there are other medical or psychological reasons which mean you are not ready or able to engage, this will be discussed with you and the information sent to your GP.

If you are unable to attend an appointment or group session please let us know. If you do not let us know then you will be discharged from the service and a letter will be sent to notify you and your GP.

The communications team is responsible for media relations as well as staff and wider public communications. All media enquiries should be sent to the media team at NBTCommunications@nbt.nhs.uk. Please contact us if you are a member of the media and would like to be added to our press release email distribution. The office is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Expert Bank

Out-of-hours press enquiries

Protocols

Filming and photography

Major incidents

Infection control

GMC Number: 6162504

Year of first qualification: 2007, Nottingham University

Specialty: Neuropsychiatry

Clinical interests: Sleep Disorders, Functional Neurological Syndromes, Psychiatric sequelea of neurological diseases

Secretary: Jennifer Littler

Telephone: 0117 414 0451 

Consultant Neuropsychiatrist with CCT in Older Adult, General Adult and Liaison Psychiatry

www.iwantgreatcare.org/doctors/mr-dane-rayment

GMC Number: 607487

Year of first qualification: 2003, University of Nottingham

Specialty: Neurosurgery

Clinical interests: Brain tumours and Functional Neurosurgery

Secretary: Jackie Scholes

Telephone number: 0117 414 6704

Mr Neil Barua completed his neurosurgery training in Bristol and Plymouth. He also completed a PhD investigating novel methods of drug delivery to the brain during his training and has a special interest in brain tumours and movement disorders.

GMC Number: 6120390

Year & location of first qualification: 2005,  University of Bristol

Specialty: Acute Medicine

Clinical interests: Obstetric Medicine

Secretary: Lisa Williams

Telephone: 0117 414 1141

GMC Number: 6158389

Year & location of first qualification: 1997/8,  Bangalore

Specialty: Vascular Surgery

Clinical interests: AAA-Endovascular and open Endovenous ablation/minimally invasive venous treatment carotid endarterectomy under LA

Secretary: Fran Adam

Telephone: 0117 414 0826

Mr Devan Thavarajan is a dedicated full time vascular and endovascular surgeon at here at North Bristol NHS Trust with outpatient clinics at RUH Bath Specialist training in Liverpool, Bath, Edinburgh and Chester.

GMC Number: 4509974

Year of first qualification: 1998, Bristol

Specialty: Vascular Surgery

Clinical interests: Vascular, endovascular and renal access surgery

Secretary: Lynsey Wynne

Telephone number: 0117 414 6377

Mr Tim Beckitt has been a consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon since 2013.

His particular interests include aneurysm surgery (endovascular and open AAA repair), critical limb ischaemia, stroke/TiA (carotid surgery), renal access surgery and varicose vein intervention.

He is also the Governance and Safety lead for the Bristol, Bath and Weston Vascular Network.