Obesity is one of the greatest public health challenges facing the island of Ireland, affecting over three million people and placing enormous pressure on health and social care systems.

Improving obesity care through cross-border innovation

For many people living with obesity, particularly those with type 2 diabetes, access to specialist multidisciplinary care remains limited, especially across the North West region. PEACETIME has been established to address this challenge through an innovative cross-border model of care.

PEACETIME is a €10 million PEACEPLUS-funded project led by Ulster University, working in partnership with Atlantic Technological University (ATU), the National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health (NIPC), the Derry GP Federation, and the Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity (ICPO). The project lead is Professor Alex Miras (Ulster University) and the Republic of Ireland lead is Dr Susan Connolly (NIPC).

The project is supported through the PEACEPLUS Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Over four years, PEACETIME will design, implement and evaluate a new integrated obesity service across Donegal, Derry-Londonderry and Tyrone, bringing together clinical care, digital innovation and world-leading research.

Why PEACETIME?

Obesity is a chronic disease that increases the risk of many serious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. The impact extends beyond physical health, affecting mental wellbeing, quality of life and health inequalities.

Across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, specialist obesity services remain limited. People living in the North West often experience additional barriers including deprivation, rurality and reduced access to specialist multidisciplinary support. PEACETIME has been developed to increase access to evidence-based obesity care closer to where people live while generating knowledge that can inform future healthcare policy across the island of Ireland.

Our Vision

PEACETIME aims to transform obesity care by developing an integrated, patient-centred model that combines:

• multidisciplinary clinical expertise
• digital health technologies
• personalised care pathways
• behavioural and psychological support
• community-based delivery
• cross-border collaboration.

The project will improve health outcomes, strengthen community healthcare services, reduce reliance on hospital-based care and create a sustainable model that can be adopted more widely across Ireland.

What will PEACETIME deliver?

PEACETIME will:

• develop a single integrated cross-border obesity service
• identify and support 9,000 people living with obesity and obesity-related complications across Donegal, Derry-Londonderry and Tyrone
• establish and train a multidisciplinary clinical workforce working across both jurisdictions
• evaluate patient outcomes over 12 months
• undertake seven innovative healthcare research studies
• generate evidence to support future healthcare policy and wider implementation.

The PEACETIME Model of Care

PEACETIME places patients at the centre of care.

Following assessment by a multidisciplinary team, participants receive an individualised care plan based on their clinical needs and preferences. The service combines expertise from nurses, dietitians, psychologists, physical activity specialists, health coaches and medical specialists.

Participants can access care through a flexible hybrid model, including:

• digital health supported by health coaching
• multidisciplinary specialist support
• structured group education programmes
• clinical psychology services
• ongoing maintenance and self-management support.

Digital technologies and wearable devices will complement, rather than replace, face-to-face care, ensuring services remain accessible and personalised.

Research and Innovation

Alongside clinical delivery, PEACETIME will undertake seven complementary research studies designed to improve understanding of effective obesity care.

These include research into:

• patient and clinician experiences
• digital health technologies
• personalised medicine
• health economics
• health coaching
• data analytics
• precision nutrition.

Together, these studies will generate evidence on clinical effectiveness, patient experience and health system impact, helping to shape future obesity services across Ireland and beyond.

Measuring Success

Participants will be followed throughout the programme, with outcomes measured at the start, three months and twelve months.

Evaluation will consider:

• quality of life
• physical and mental health
• weight and metabolic health
• patient empowerment and self-management
• patient experience
• healthcare utilisation
• economic impact
• engagement with digital health technologies.

This comprehensive evaluation will provide one of the most detailed assessments of community-based obesity care undertaken on the island of Ireland.

Working Together

PEACETIME demonstrates how cross-border collaboration can improve healthcare delivery while advancing research, innovation and policy development.

By bringing together universities, healthcare providers, patient representatives and clinical experts, the project seeks not only to improve outcomes for thousands of people living with obesity today, but also to create a sustainable model of care that can benefit future generations.

Email: peacetime@ulster.ac.uk

Website: PEACETIME | PEACETIME

Linkedin: PEACETIME: Overview | LinkedIn