NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens today revealed those working in the health service should 'practice what they preach' Overweight NHS staff will be told to take part in free slimming classes to shed the pounds, in order to set a better example to their patients, it has emerged. The drastic scheme could help 700,000 of NHS England's 1.3 million workforce, who currently struggle with their weight. In a drive to 'practice what we preach', the NHS will sign their employees up to one of three slimming classes, depending on the amount of weight they have to lose. Staff will be put on personal eating plans and be offered cognitive behavioural therapy to help reassess their relationship with food. NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens, who announced today's initiative, said: 'Today the NHS is starting to practice what we preach - helping our own staff get healthier and prevent illness. 'The 'h' in NHS stands for health, and that's going to require a far bigger emphasis on prevention.' It comes as Mr Stevens revealed tens of thousands of lives could be saved by a new initiative aimed at preventing people developing type 2 diabetes. The weight-loss pilot programme will initially be open to staff at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London. Porters, nurses, doctors and support workers have helped design the scheme. And there has reportedly been an overwhelming response from volunteers eager to sign up for the scheme. Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England, said: 'This is the first time this innovative approach to weight management has been piloted in the NHS. 'It is not just a weight-loss service but a comprehensive package of support, that includes eating better, being more active and improving self-esteem, which is tailored to the needs of NHS staff. 'By rolling out a public health scheme in our hospitals we are showing the nation that we are serious about tackling obesity and preventing life-threatening diseases.' Being obese and overweight can significantly increase a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes. As such, a large proportion of cases could be prevented. Trials in the US, Japan, China and India have shown 30 to 60 per cent reductions in cases over three years in adults at high risk, after intensive lifestyle changes were introduced. The new National NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, set to be unveiled by Mr Stevens at the Diabetes UK conference today, is set to run in line with the drive to improve the lifestyles of NHS employees. It is hoped the schemes will save lives as well as millions of pounds for the NHS by significantly reducing the four million people otherwise expected to develop type 2 diabetes in England by 2025. Mr Stevens revealed overweight NHS employees would be offered slimming classes to help shed pounds in a bid to set a better example for their patients (file image) England will be the first country to implement such a programme at scale, initially targeting up to 10,000 people at a high risk of type 2 diabetes followed by a national roll-out. 'The NHS already spends an estimated £10 billion a year on potentially avoidable illnesses, and the human toll is more than 100 amputations a week and around 20,000 early deaths every year,' Mr Stevens said. 'Yet for over a decade we've known that obesity prevention cuts diabetes and saves lives. 'If these results were from a pill we'd doubtless be popping it, but instead this programme succeeds by supporting people to lose weight, exercise and eat better.' The programme is a joint initiative between NHS England, Public Health England (PHE) and Diabetes UK. PHE chief executive Mr Selbie said: 'This innovative programme is putting 'evidence into action' on the ground. 'Despite Type 2 diabetes being largely preventable, 2.5 million people in England already have the disease with another 9.6 million at high risk of developing it and this cannot be ignored.' Type 2 diabetes usually develops after the age of 40 and is more common in people who are overweight. Seven places around the country have been chosen to take part in the initial phase of the programme, involving drives on weight loss, physical activity, cooking and nutrition. These are Birmingham South and Central clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), Bradford City CCG, Durham County Council, Herefordshire CCG/LA, Medway CCG/LA, Salford CCG/LA, Southwark and Lambeth Councils and Southwark CCG. The weight-loss programmes, which include advice on healthy eating, come as NHS England announces another new initiative to help reduce the number of cases of type 2 diabetes, a condition closely linked to being overweight. Experts say the scheme will save lives as well as millions of pounds for the NHS . Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: 'This is a real step change in terms of highlighting the seriousness with which type 2 diabetes is viewed and we feel this prevention programme is hugely significant. 'We hope this will also send a clear message that still more needs to be done going forward to help people lead healthy lifestyles from the beginning to the ends of their lives.' British Medical Association (BMA) committee chair, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, said: 'The programme does have the potential to tackle one of the most serious conditions that when identified late can have serious implications for an individual's health, and which is costing the NHS considerably in time and expense. 'GP services are in the front line of treating this condition and GPs will welcome any initiative which seeks to reduce its effects on the nation's health. 'We do need to ensure that this programme enables all patients to access appropriate preventative treatments and empowers clinicians to help design the correct services. 'It must also avoid producing any additional bureaucratic burden on GP services and the wider NHS.'
Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, revealed weight-loss scheme for staff . Could help 700,000 of the NHS's 1.3 million strong workforce slim down . Comes as NHS unveils new initiative to reduce type 2 diabetes cases . Risk of the condition is increased significantly by being overweight . Drive could save lives as well as millions of pounds for the NHS .