{"id":104339,"date":"2025-08-31T04:12:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T04:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/104339\/"},"modified":"2025-08-31T04:12:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-31T04:12:10","slug":"the-brutally-unfair-reason-you-will-never-be-able-to-get-mounjaro-for-free-on-the-nhs-if-you-pay-for-the-jab-even-as-the-price-sky-rockets-as-we-reveal-the-simple-way-to-know-if-youre-eligible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/104339\/","title":{"rendered":"The brutally unfair reason you will NEVER be able to get Mounjaro for free on the NHS if you pay for the jab – even as the price sky-rockets… as we reveal the simple way to know if you’re eligible"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Julia Dore, Mounjaro has improved her life in ways she could never have imagined \u2013 but she now faces an agonising dilemma.<\/p>\n

In March, the 51-year-old, who weighed almost 19st, joined a million other people in Britain paying privately for the weight-loss<\/a> injections that have revolutionised obesity treatment. And after a lifelong battle with her weight which saw her try countless diets and fasting regimes, the results have been astonishing.<\/p>\n

In just six months she shed five-and-a-half stone \u2013 while her blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels fell steeply.<\/p>\n

Having suffered a heart attack in her 40s, she can now \u2013 for the first time in years \u2013 climb the stairs and walk her dog without struggling for breath.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, it\u2019s also boosted her self-esteem. \u2018I feel like a totally new person,\u2019 she said. \u2018Obesity is all-encompassing \u2013 it completely takes over your mental state. You feel like you\u2019re constantly being ridiculed because you\u2019re the fattest person in the room.<\/p>\n

\u2018Losing weight on Mounjaro has been absolutely life-changing. I feel alive again.\u2019<\/p>\n

But, there\u2019s an unexpected drawback.<\/p>\n

For just weeks after Ms Dore started buying the jabs, the Health Service announced they would be made available, for the most severely unwell patients, on the NHS.<\/p>\n

\"After <\/p>\n

After a lifelong battle with her weight which saw her try countless diets and fasting regimes Julia Dore, 51, began paying privately for weight-loss jabs in March<\/p>\n

The drugs can now be prescribed to patients with a body mass index (BMI) higher than 40 and at least four other weight-related conditions.<\/p>\n

Because Ms Dore had a BMI of 43 when she started Mounjaro \u2013 plus heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol \u2013 she naturally assumed doctors would give her the drug.<\/p>\n

But although she absolutely would have been eligible back in March, by the time she saw her GP, she\u2019d lost so much weight she no longer met the criteria. Shockingly, her doctor said her only way to qualify for an NHS prescription would be to regain weight \u2013 a prospect she described as \u2018truly soul-destroying\u2019.<\/p>\n

Yet continuing to buy the jabs privately could soon prove unaffordable \u2013 with the cost of Mounjaro set to rocket.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, drug giant Eli Lilly announced that from Monday the price of Mounjaro will rise steeply.<\/p>\n

The highest 15mg dose will jump from \u00a3122 to \u00a3247.50 a month \u2013 an increase of more than 100 per cent.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the cost of the smaller 5mg dose will rise from \u00a392 to \u00a3135.<\/p>\n

The annual outlay for some patients is set to soar from about \u00a31,500 to nearly \u00a33,000.<\/p>\n

Ms Dore said: \u2018Privately funding this treatment has done amazing things for my weight and health, but put me at a great disadvantage.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The results have been astonishing \u2013 in just six months Julia shed five-and-a-half stone \u2013 while her blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels fell steeply<\/p>\n

\u2018Now I\u2019ve been told my only option for getting the injections on the NHS is to put the weight back on. That isn\u2019t fair. I can\u2019t go back to the way I was. But I\u2019m also worried paying will be difficult if the cost goes up too much.\u2019<\/p>\n

Experts warn that Ms Dore, a training and development officer who lives with her partner David in a Suffolk village, is not alone.<\/p>\n

Like her, many across the country have been horrified to learn that by opting to fund their own treatment, they have ruled themselves out of getting the jabs on the NHS \u2013 and may never qualify.<\/p>\n

Professor Naveed Sattar of the University of Glasgow said: \u2018The drugs were not offered on the NHS when many first began paying out of their pockets.<\/p>\n

\u2018As far as they\u2019re concerned, they\u2019ve saved the Health Service money. But now that they are, people are asking: \u201cWhy shouldn\u2019t we get the injections on the NHS?\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n

With the price of private supplies soaring, many people, he said, were considering drastic \u2013 and potentially dangerous \u2013 measures.<\/p>\n

He said: \u2018To fulfil the NHS criteria, some people are thinking their best choice is to come off the drugs and go back up to their previous weight.<\/p>\n

\u2018But that could be extremely distressing, especially if they\u2019ve got used to be being lighter, to controlling their food noise, to enjoying improved mobility. It could also increase their risk of weight-related problems like high blood pressure and diabetes.\u2019 So how has it come to this \u2013 a ludicrous situation where offering powerful obesity jabs on the NHS could actually encourage people to pile on the pounds? And for those caught in this bind, what choices do they really have?<\/p>\n

In recent years, appetite-suppressing jabs \u2013 known as GLP-1s \u2013 have become medicine\u2019s most powerful weapon against obesity, which raises the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and dementia and causes 30,000 deaths a year in the UK.<\/p>\n

The NHS counts it a success if an obese patient sheds five per cent of their body weight. By contrast, people on Mounjaro \u2013 the brand name for tirzepatide \u2013 can lose up to 22 per cent, while those on Wegovy, brand name for a similar drug called semaglutide, typically drop about 15 per cent.<\/p>\n

The weekly injections start on a low dose, which is gradually increased. Until recently they were available only privately, but word of their dramatic results spread fast \u2013 and hundreds of thousands signed up through clinics and online pharmacies.<\/p>\n

Fearing an explosion in demand, ministers earlier this year announced a phased roll-out, with the jabs offered on the NHS only to the sickest patients.<\/p>\n

\"But <\/p>\n

But from Monday the highest 15mg dose of Mounjaro will jump from \u00a3122 to \u00a3247.50 a month \u2013 an increase of more than 100 per cent<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

But the strict rules have proved highly contentious \u2013 especially for people like Ms Dore, who would have qualified had they not paid privately.<\/p>\n

Prof Sattar, who has acted as a consultant for drug firms but is not a shareholder, argues the phased introduction was justified. He said: \u2018The initial approach targets patients at highest risk, where there are clear, realisable, benefits for the NHS in terms of saving money, reducing disease, lowering hospitalisations, and reducing the use of other drugs.<\/p>\n

\u2018Many others could potentially benefit, but there\u2019s not a huge amount of money in the system.<\/p>\n

\u2018The NHS never anticipated so many people buying the injections privately and finding themselves in this tricky position.\u2019<\/p>\n

With Ms Dore now appealing to her MP to change the rules, Professor David Strain, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said doctors should be allowed more flexibility. \u2018Where people have self-funded because the drugs weren\u2019t on the NHS, if they can show what their BMI was when they started and prove they would have been eligible then, it seems reasonable for the NHS to take over their prescriptions,\u2019 he said. \u2018These people have responded well to the drugs.<\/p>\n

\u2018The ongoing benefits are tremendous \u2013 while stopping would see them regain weight and suffer serious problems.\u2019<\/p>\n

For many shut out of NHS prescriptions, the idea of stopping the jabs \u2013 and piling weight back on \u2013 is unthinkable. So they are determined to keep paying privately, whatever it takes.<\/p>\n

Among them is Jenny Lloyd, 50, from Windsor, a full-time carer for her 12-year-old son George, who has complex learning difficulties. Weighing 17.5st, she also suffered diabetes, kidney disease and angina \u2013 a heart condition that causes chest pain when blood flow to the heart muscle is reduced.<\/p>\n

Although doctors assured her she would qualify for Mounjaro on prescription, she waited months before deciding to buy it through an online pharmacy. \u2018My doctors basically said it was a miracle drug. But I was waiting for ever. My weight was out of control. And after they\u2019d told me it was so amazing, why wouldn\u2019t I start it? I just assumed that once I was eventually seen, the Health Service would be OK to start prescribing it,\u2019 she said. For her, too, the effects have been spectacular. She\u2019s lost almost 5st, her diabetes is now in remission, and she hasn\u2019t had an angina attack for months.<\/p>\n

IT’S A FACT!\u00a0 <\/p>\n

A new weight-loss drug, retratrutide, has been shown in trials to help patients lose up to a to a third of their body weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Best of all, she can play properly with her son.<\/p>\n

She said: \u2018After school, George likes to play football in the field beside the house. Beforehand I struggled to walk across the road to get there; I would just sit while he kicked the ball.<\/p>\n

\u2018But now I can run around and chase him. He loves it. It\u2019s the best feeling in the world.\u2019<\/p>\n

When she returned to her GP to ask for a Mounjaro prescription, she was told her BMI was now too low. She said: \u2018They told me they\u2019d reconsider if I put the weight back on. But that would mean my diabetes coming back, my cholesterol going back up. It\u2019s a big risk.<\/p>\n

\u2018At the same time the cost of injections is rising. I can\u2019t afford them. I\u2019ve been crying my eyes out, worrying about what to do.\u2019<\/p>\n

For some people struggling to afford the higher fees, switching drug might be suitable.<\/p>\n

Prof Strain recommended discussing the issue with a healthcare provider \u2013 but explained the same weight loss may be maintained with a cheaper alternative.<\/p>\n

He said: \u2018Mounjaro at maximum dose is superior for weight loss compared to Wegovy at maximum dose. But the majority of people taking Mounjaro are not on the maximum dose, meaning they may still be able to get a similar weight loss benefit from Wegovy, which would be cheaper.\u2019<\/p>\n

The official guidance for switching between weight-loss drugs is to stop one completely, then have a \u2018wash-out\u2019 period of several weeks while it leaves the system.<\/p>\n

The new drug must then be started at the lowest dose \u2013 in case the patient reacts badly.<\/p>\n

A month\u2019s supply of the largest Wegovy dose, 2.4mg, is available from online pharmacies for around \u00a3200.<\/p>\n

Another option for people hoping to get the injections on the NHS is to wait for the prescribing rules to change.<\/p>\n

From next year, the criteria will be relaxed so anyone with a BMI over 35, along with four comorbidities, will be able to request a prescription.<\/p>\n

From September 2026 the rules will be eased further, to include those with a BMI over 40 and three obesity-related conditions. But the NHS has warned it could take up to 12 years before all four million people deemed eligible by NICE actually get the treatment.<\/p>\n

Another hope is that new drugs and greater competition among companies will bring down prices.<\/p>\n

A new GLP-1 undergoing clinical trials is retatrutide, which may deliver up to 30 per cent weight-loss \u2013 but is unlikely to be available for a couple of years.<\/p>\n

Last week trials of a new GLP-1 called orforglipron \u2013 which is taken as a pill rather than as an injection \u2013 showed it could help patients lose an average of 10.5 per cent of their body weight.<\/p>\n

Until new products and more competition make the drugs cheaper, people who can\u2019t get an NHS prescription or afford to keep paying privately, can make lifestyle changes to maintain weight loss.<\/p>\n

Prof Sattar said: \u2018If people stop taking the injections, their weight is likely to go back up. But they can slow that down by learning to eat better \u2013 eating fibre rich foods, more salads and veg, less carbs and more protein.<\/p>\n

\u2018And if you\u2019ve already lost weight, physical activity like walking can help stop you regaining it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Ms Dore, however, suffers from hypothyroidism \u2013 a condition where an underactive thyroid slows the metabolism and causes weight gain \u2013 and is convinced nothing will prove as effective for her as GLP-1 injections.<\/p>\n

She said: \u2018I was the woman who went to Slimming World and put on 2lb every week.\u2019<\/p>\n

She plans to keep fighting for Mounjaro on the NHS and said: \u2018I\u2019m trying so hard to do the right thing for my health. But I feel the system has left me completely alone and unsupported.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For Julia Dore, Mounjaro has improved her life in ways she could never have imagined \u2013 but she…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":104340,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[84,97,59,102,104,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-104339","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-dailymail","10":"tag-gb","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-nhs","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}