Hospital to become obesity centre

Patients need to be morbidly obese to have the surgery

The number of people undergoing weight loss surgery at a hospital in Somerset is set to double.

Musgrove Park in Taunton has been awarded Level One status by the NHS, effectively making it the centre for obesity surgery in the South West.

It will mean the hospital will increase the number of gastric band and gastric bypass operations in the next year.

But to qualify patients have to be morbidly obese and prove that they have spent six months on a weight loss plan.

'Risky operation'

BBC West Health Correspondent, Matthew Hill, said Musgrove Park had been licensed to perform the two procedures.

"There are two main types of operation, the bypass where the stomach is bypassed and banding where a band is put around the stomach to reduce its size.

"The bypass is a more difficult and risky operation - one in a thousand banded patient will patients will die compared to up to five in a thousand for people who have a gastric bypass.

"Seventy-five percent of their operations will be bypasses.

"This is because there is some evidence to suggest the bypass is more effective in curing diabetes for some patients in the long term.

"Banded patients need much more after care," Mr Hill added.