The NHS is rolling out Mounjaro with a focus on those with the “highest clinical need”
More than a million people in the UK are estimated to be currently using weight loss jabs(Image: PA)
The Government has issued a response after concerns that some patients with weight-related health problems won’t be able to access the new weight loss jab Mounjaro on the NHS.
Tirzepatide – better known as Mounjaro – is a weight loss medicine that makes patients feel fuller for longer and therefore less hungry. It comes in the form of an injection, which is self-administered once a week.
The jab was approved for use in England in 2023 and was initially only available through specialist weight-loss services.
In June, thousands more patients became eligible to get the drug through their GP in an NHS rollout. Currently, patients with a BMI of 40 or higher and multiple obesity-related health problems are eligible.
Labour MP Mohammad Yasin, who represents Bedford, pressed the Department of Health and Social Care on what support is available for people living with multiple obesity-related conditions but who don’t currently meet the NHS threshold for Mounjaro.
Responding on Tuesday (November 18), Health Minister Ashley Dalton said the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which decides whether new medicines are clinically and cost-effective, has estimated around 3.4 million people will be eligible for the jab under its guidance.
Ashley Dalton MP is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention(Image: PA)
The NHS is rolling out the jab with a focus on those with the “highest clinical need”, Ms Dalton said. Health bosses say that around 220,000 people are expected to receive Mounjaro through the NHS over the next three years.
In the mass roll out, the drug will be given to certain people with a BMI over 40, or 37.5 in patients from a minority ethnic background. These patients must have at least four out of five of the following health problems linked to obesity:
Type 2 diabetesHigh blood pressureHeart and vascular diseaseHigh cholesterolObstructive sleep apnoea
Responding to the concerns raised by Mr Yasin, the government said they will speed up access to Mounjaro “if possible”, while NICE will review progress in around three years.
Ms Dalton said: “For those not currently eligible for tirzepatide, there are a variety of weight management services provided by the NHS and local government. These range from multi-component behavioural programmes to specialist services for those living with severe obesity and associated co-morbidities.
“All weight management services will have some form of eligibility criteria to ensure that they are targeted at those most likely to benefit.
“For example, the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme is a behavioural programme primarily aimed at adults living with obesity who also have type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension.”
The NHS says a GP can offer advice about losing weight safely by eating a healthy, balanced diet and doing regular physical activity. They can also refer you to a specialist weight management service.