A guideline on the management of obesity in secondary care, issued by the Clinical Resource and Efficiency Support Team (CREST) in June 2005, has not been assessed for its effectiveness by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. CREST is an independent group comprised of local healthcare professionals from a range of backgrounds. The Department does not formally assess the effectiveness of CREST guidance.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently developing guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children. This guidance is due to be published in November 2006 and, under the Department’s link with the institute, will be assessed for its applicability to the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland, The review of applicability will not include an assessment of the effectiveness of the NICE guidance. In linking with NICE, the Department accepts the professionalism and expertise of the institute’s guidance development process and is not seeking to duplicate this process in Northern Ireland.