Dr. Sarah McGuire:

Since 2013, some substantial progress has been made. In 2016, the Department of Health launched the obesity policy and action plan and the HSE established the healthy active living programme. To address the needs of those already with obesity, in 2014 and 2015 we collaborated with the HSE to train community health professionals in obesity management and a pilot treatment intervention for children was delivered yielding useful information for future planning of services. In 2017 the HSE appointed a clinical lead for obesity, Professor Donal O’Shea. He has acknowledged the need to provide obesity services in the CHG. There has been improved collaboration at Government level and in 2018 the Joint Committee on Education and Skills is convening to address the issue of obesity in children. Further work is required, however. For example, the CHG recognised obesity as an issue in paediatric health care in its 2016 operational plan. However, to date, there have been no definite signals on whether or how the new children’s hospital will provide the level of service currently available to those attending Temple Street. The hospital will indeed be built according to bariatric specifications however the blueprints for the required clinical services are yet to be clarified. In addition, community paediatric dietetic posts promised by the Government in 2013 have not yet fully materialised and GPs and public health nurses are not yet resourced to provide treatment at a primary care level.