Welcome to BOMSS
The UK’s internationally recognised bariatric specialist society providing expert advice to a variety of bodies to inform national policy and commissioning guidance promoting the safe and equitable practice of obesity surgery
Appointment of New BOMSS Treasurer and Education Lead
Following the recent elections, we are pleased to announce that Mr Omar Khan (Treasurer) and Mr John Loy (Education Lead) have been appointed to the British Obesity and Metabolic Specialist Society Council of Management, effective from November 2025.
Both will serve a three-year term, during which Omar Khan will act as a Trustee of BOMSS.
Omar is a Consultant General, Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon with over 14 years on the GMC Specialist Register. Alongside his clinical work, he has built a significant national reputation as an academic and medicolegal expert in upper GI and bariatric surgery. Omar has also served as BOMSS NBSR Chair for the past two years.
John is an experienced Consultant Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon with over a decade of NHS and private practice, having performed more than 2,600 bariatric procedures, including complex and revisional cases. John has a strong record in leadership and education, having served as RCS College Tutor, led bariatric and cancer MDT pathways, and represented General and Bariatric Surgery on a Medical Advisory Committee.
I would like to thank all applicants for their interest and contributions to the Society. Other Council roles/opportunities will be advertised in the coming weeks.
Please join us in congratulating Omar and John on their appointments.
Sincerely,
Ahmed Ahmed
President, BOMSS
Launch of the BOMSS GP Hub
BOMSS are pleased to announce the launch of the BOMSS GP Hub.
The BOMSS GP Hub is a suite of six documents that have been developed by a multi-disciplinary working group and aim to support bariatric surgery follow-up in primary care:
BOMSS post-bariatric surgery nutritional guidance for GPs,
BOMSS traffic light poster for the management of complications post-bariatric surgery,
BOMSS overview of GP management of patients post-bariatric surgery,
BOMSS pre-consultation questionnaire for patients,
BOMSS GP consultation guide of post-bariatric surgery annual reviews,
BOMSS guidance on medications post-bariatric surgery for GPs.
All these documents can be downloaded as PDFs and are free to use for clinical purposes.
Please share with primary care colleagues to help support patient care (for example, by including the weblink and/or copies in patient letters).
Joint BAAPS/BOMSS statement on surgical tourism - CONSULT A UK SURGEON FIRST
Issued by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society.
The significant increase in numbers of patients travelling abroad for both aesthetic and bariatric (weight loss) surgery has been linked with consequent serious complications and even deaths. BAAPS and BOMSS, the aesthetic and bariatric UK surgical societies are making this unprecedented joint statement due to our concerns for patient welfare and safety.
Both BAAPS and BOMSS have warned about the risks of surgical tourism. However, due to economic pressures, concerted advertising and ready availability there is a continuous and increasing stream of UK patients who choose to travel abroad for surgery.
As professional societies we are concerned by the number of patients presenting with the complications of surgical procedures performed outside the UK. There is an assumption that the NHS will deal with any issues on return home, and a significant financial cost can be attached to the management of complications. This cost might well be down to the patient to pay, and must be considered in advance.
BAAPS and BOMSS recognise that surgery in the independent sector in the UK is more expensive than in some other countries. The principle reason is that healthcare in England is tightly regulated by the CQC, in Scotland by the HIS and in Wales by HIW. This ensures quality, standards, and ultimately safety are as good as possible. Not all countries have the equivalent to CQC regulation, and not all countries’ standards are at the high level of those in the UK.
Our specific concerns about people travelling overseas for surgery include:
1. Lack of adequate expert pre-operative assessment, discussion and counselling
2. Poor choice of procedure offered and the number of combined procedures offered in one surgical sitting
3. Different procedures being performed to the one the patient expected, or the details of the procedure conducted being unknown
4. Unknown quality and safety of the team providing surgery
5. Risks of long-distance travel immediately following surgery, for example developing a blood clot in the leg or lung (which can be potentially life-threatening)
6. Poor or non-existent access to routine post-operative follow up care, increasing the possibility of outcomes such as weight regain and nutritional deficiencies in bariatric patients and increasing the risks of sub-optimal outcomes and complications in plastic surgery patients.
7. No direct access to expert care if a complication occurs (and most GPs are not trained in the care of patients who have had bariatric or plastic surgery)
Having surgery abroad is certainly less expensive than in the UK, but standards of healthcare regulation overseas often differ from the UK, which means the quality of surgical care can vary significantly. In the event of a problem, clinical and legal redress is much more difficult leaving people exposed and unprotected.
Therefore, both the BAAPS and BOMSS strongly urge caution to anyone considering surgical tourism – what cost is your health? Consult a UK Surgeon first.
Click here to download the statement.
Issued by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society.
The significant increase in numbers of patients travelling abroad for both aesthetic and bariatric (weight loss) surgery has been linked with consequent serious complications and even deaths. BAAPS and BOMSS, the aesthetic and bariatric UK surgical societies are making this unprecedented joint statement due to our concerns for patient welfare and safety.
Both BAAPS and BOMSS have warned about the risks of surgical tourism. However, due to economic pressures, concerted advertising and ready availability there is a continuous and increasing stream of UK patients who choose to travel abroad for surgery.
As professional societies we are concerned by the number of patients presenting with the complications of surgical procedures performed outside the UK. There is an assumption that the NHS will deal with any issues on return home, and a significant financial cost can be attached to the management of complications. This cost might well be down to the patient to pay, and must be considered in advance.
BAAPS and BOMSS recognise that surgery in the independent sector in the UK is more expensive than in some other countries. The principle reason is that healthcare in England is tightly regulated by the CQC, in Scotland by the HIS and in Wales by HIW. This ensures quality, standards, and ultimately safety are as good as possible. Not all countries have the equivalent to CQC regulation, and not all countries’ standards are at the high level of those in the UK.
Our specific concerns about people travelling overseas for surgery include:
1. Lack of adequate expert pre-operative assessment, discussion and counselling
2. Poor choice of procedure offered and the number of combined procedures offered in one surgical sitting
3. Different procedures being performed to the one the patient expected, or the details of the procedure conducted being unknown
4. Unknown quality and safety of the team providing surgery
5. Risks of long-distance travel immediately following surgery, for example developing a blood clot in the leg or lung (which can be potentially life-threatening)
6. Poor or non-existent access to routine post-operative follow up care, increasing the possibility of outcomes such as weight regain and nutritional deficiencies in bariatric patients and increasing the risks of sub-optimal outcomes and complications in plastic surgery patients.
7. No direct access to expert care if a complication occurs (and most GPs are not trained in the care of patients who have had bariatric or plastic surgery)
Having surgery abroad is certainly less expensive than in the UK, but standards of healthcare regulation overseas often differ from the UK, which means the quality of surgical care can vary significantly. In the event of a problem, clinical and legal redress is much more difficult leaving people exposed and unprotected.
Therefore, both the BAAPS and BOMSS strongly urge caution to anyone considering surgical tourism – what cost is your health? Consult a UK Surgeon first.
Click here to download the statement.
BOMSS Statement on Bariatric Tourism
We understand that accessing bariatric (weight loss) surgery on the NHS can be a frustrating experience and BOMSS is working hard to improve this situation. One consequence of the current lack of NHS provision of this treatment is that people decide to self-fund their care, either in the UK or abroad. BOMSS strongly advises UK residents to be cautious when considering bariatric surgery abroad.
Care in the UK is tightly regulated with all providers regularly monitored and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Surgical outcomes are reported on a national bariatric database, UK bariatric surgeons, have completed recognised training and certification, and have full professional insurance so that patients can receive financial compensation in the very unlikely event of serious complications arising from clinical negligence. These processes are designed to ensure high standards of care and to protect patients undergoing surgery.
Full statement found HERE