Specimen pre-measurement letter to primary care
practitioners
This letter can be used to send to GP practices in your area to help raise awareness of the
NCMP.
Research on the NCMP suggests that nine percent of parents of overweight or obese
children are likely to contact their GP after receiving the results letter. It is therefore important
that GPs are aware that the NCMP takes place in their area, that results are shared with
parents, how the results are calculated, what services are available in the area for
overweight or obese children and the referral routes available to them.
«LA_Name»
«LA_Address1»
«LA_Address2»
«LA_Address3»
«LA_Postcode»
Tel: «LA_Telephone»
Email: «LA_Email»
«GP practice»
«GP practice_Address1»
«GP practice_Address2»
«GP practice_Address3»
«GP practice_Postcode»
To [insert details of GP practice contact],
Re: The National Child Measurement Programme
Every year the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is delivered by all local
authorities across the country, including in [insert local authority name] which your practice
falls within. General practice has an important role to play in helping parents and children
maintain healthy weights. This letter provides you with information about the NCMP and how
the programme can help support you in tackling child obesity among your patients.
What is the NCMP?
The programme involves measuring the height and weight of all children in Reception (4–5
year olds) and Year 6 (10–11 year olds) at state-maintained schools. It uses the approach
recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Royal
College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) to assess child weight status: calculation
of BMI and then assessment against the UK/World Health Organization growth charts (2-18
years) to get an appropriate interpretation of the child’s BMI centile based on their age and
sex. The BMI centile thresholds are indicated below.
Underweight
Below 2nd BMI centile
(children may be
healthy)
Healthy weight
Between 2nd and
90th BMI centile
Overweight
Between 91st and
97th BMI centile
Very overweight
At or above 98th
centile
The programme provides robust local-level child obesity surveillance data, and at [insert local
authority name] we use the data to inform our Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and monitor
progress on the Public Health Outcomes Framework indicators on excess weight in children
to guide action to tackle child obesity in our area.
The programme also allows engagement with families through sharing children’s results with
their parents. After children are measured, we provide parents with their child’s results to
make them aware of their child’s weight status, and offer information, advice and support to
make healthier lifestyle changes [delete / amend if results are not shared with all parents in
your area].
How might you be involved?
Some parents may visit their GP to discuss their child’s results.
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Parents may want to know whether their child’s results are correct and what the
health implications are.
An objective assessment of a child’s weight is essential using the RCPCH age-and
sex-appropriate growth charts to interpret BMI in childhood
http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/child-health/research-projects/uk-who-growth-charts/ukgrowth-chart-resources-2-18-years/uk-2-18-yea, or the NHS Choices child healthy
weight calculator www.nhs.uk/bmi. Visual judgement tends to be unreliable, and
adult BMI thresholds should not be used.
Most parents believe their child is a healthy weight, even if they are overweight. They
may need help to understand that children are unlikely to 'grow out of puppy fat'
without a change in current eating and exercise patterns.
Motivational interviewing can be an effective approach to help families choose and
achieve behaviour change goals. A link to free e-learning sessions for clinicians on
motivational interviewing can be found in Annex 1.
Although parents and children may be sensitive about weight, many families are keen
to find out what help and support is available. Some signposting and referral
information including local weight management and support services and child weight
training resources can be found in Annex 2 [insert information in Annex 2].
Follow up is also essential. Overweight and obesity are commonly chronic relapsing
conditions that require long-term attention.
We hope this information is of use.
Yours sincerely,
[Insert name]
Director of Public Health
[Name of local authority]
[Insert name]
Director of Children’s Services
[Name of local authority]
Annex 1: NCMP and healthy weight resources
Free e-learning sessions
about child obesity for
NHS clinicians
RCGP e-learning:
Obesity and using motivational interviewing in practice
http://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/info.php?id=147&popup=0
BMJ Learning:
Podcast: Obesity in children: assessment and management
http://learning.bmj.com/learning/module-intro/obesity-inchildren--assessment-andmanagement.html?moduleId=10013988
Childhood obesity: a guide on diagnosis, prevention and
management
http://learning.bmj.com/learning/module-intro/childhood-obesity-diagnosis--managementprevention.html?moduleId=10008188&searchTerm=“obesity”&p
age=1&locale=en_GB
NICE clinical guideline on
the prevention,
identification, assessment
and management of
overweight and obesity in
adults and children
UK child BMI growth
charts
Obesity: the prevention, identification, assessment and
management of overweight and obesity in adults and children
(CG43)
http://www.nice.org.uk/CG43
NHS Choices BMI
Calculator and iPhone
App
The NHS Choices BMI calculator calculates a child’s BMI
centile in line with the approach used by the NCMP, and that
recommended by NICE and the RCPCH http://www.nhs.uk/bmi
The RCPCH website has the official UK 2-18 child growth
charts available for download, along with training materials to
support the use of the 2-18 growth chart
http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/child-health/research-projects/uk-whogrowth-charts/uk-growth-chart-resources-2-18-years/uk-2-18yea
An iPhone App version of the calculator is available to
download from the Apple App Store.
Change4Life
Information and resources on the Change4Life programme are
available from http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/changefor-life.aspx
Annex 2: Local weight management services for children
[Include here details of your local child obesity care pathway, referral routes and
programmes available in your area]
Local NCMP contact details
[Populate with local details, eg local authority public health obesity lead, NCMP provider lead
etc]