Experts urge NHS to rethink weight loss injection plans

Top experts are urging an immediate review to ensure that individuals in England can access weight loss injections, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, through the NHS. This follows a statement from the prime minister, who highlighted the potential economic benefits of these treatments by helping individuals living with obesity re-enter the workforce.

Over 200 medical professionals and specialists have written to the health secretary, outlining the unprecedented demand on NHS obesity treatment services. These services are struggling to cope with the surge of patients seeking these new treatments, despite chronic underfunding and a workforce already under immense pressure.

The experts stress that weight loss injections should be part of a broader, non-stigmatising care package. The current system, they argue, fails to address key issues such as underfunding, workforce shortages, and unequal access to care across the country.

The letter, addressed to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, was organised by the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA), a coalition representing health charities and medical royal colleges. It highlights significant delays in accessing care, with some patients waiting up to five years for specialist support. In some cases, services have become so overwhelmed that waiting lists have been closed entirely.

The OHA calls for equitable access to obesity treatments, including weight loss injections. However, concerns persist about global stock shortages, and in the UK, these treatments are currently only available through specialist weight-management services within the NHS. Many individuals are left with no choice but to seek private treatment, leading to inequities in care.

According to OHA estimates, around four million individuals in England could be eligible for Wegovy. However, NHS projections suggest that by 2028, fewer than 50,000 people per year will receive the treatment through the health service.

Katharine Jenner, director of the OHA, emphasised that while weight loss injections are effective, they are not a standalone solution.

“Even if you are taking the jabs, you still need to have extra care and support around it. You still need to be doing exercise and have dietary advice as well, and that’s not currently there,” she said.

Jenner also raised concerns about unequal access to these medications.

“We need to make sure that we are prioritising access based on greatest clinical need and not based on any other factors,” she added.

The OHA has also received reports of individuals who are eligible for treatment being denied access to NHS services due to their excess weight.

“They’re having to seek private treatment and they’re not getting the care and support package that they’d be expecting to get if you had any other sort of condition,” Jenner explained.

She stressed the need for a thorough review of existing NHS services to identify best practices and address the challenges faced by obesity treatment services across the country.

The anticipated approval of another weight loss injection, Mounjaro—referred to by some as the “King Kong” of weight loss drugs due to its impressive trial results—raises further concerns about the pressure the NHS will face in delivering care. The OHA warns that the introduction of Mounjaro will add strain to an already overwhelmed system.

Alfie Slade, government affairs lead at the OHA, pointed to the transformative potential of these new drugs while acknowledging the weaknesses they expose in the current NHS framework for obesity care.

“The new weight loss drugs represent a breakthrough in treatment, giving hope to the millions of people struggling to manage their weight, but they also expose the weaknesses in our current obesity services,” Slade said.

“Without urgent government intervention, we will fail to meet the needs of millions of patients, leading to greater health inequalities.”

Although these drugs—Wegovy and Mounjaro—mimic a hormone that reduces hunger, health experts caution that they are not a quick fix. Patients are still required to engage in regular physical activity and adopt a healthy diet to see sustainable results. Once individuals stop using the medication, there is a risk of regaining the lost weight. Additionally, as with any pharmaceutical treatment, there are potential side effects.

Healthcare professionals are increasingly concerned about patients who have suffered complications after purchasing weight loss medications online without proper medical supervision. In some instances, individuals may not even be receiving the medications they believe they are purchasing, posing significant safety risks.

The OHA also underscores the importance of public health initiatives aimed at preventing obesity, such as improving national dietary habits and encouraging children to get sufficient exercise. These measures, they argue, are essential in addressing the root causes of obesity and reducing future healthcare burdens.

NHS England has stated that it is collaborating with the government and the pharmaceutical industry to create new services that will ensure approved treatments are made available safely, effectively, and at a reasonable cost. A spokesperson for the organisation highlighted the potential of these drugs to transform obesity care.

“Weight loss drugs would be ‘transformative’ and, alongside NHS early prevention initiatives, help more people to lose weight and reduce their risk of killer conditions like diabetes, heart attack and stroke,” the spokesperson said.

The Department of Health and Social Care echoed these sentiments, emphasising the significant financial and societal burden that obesity places on the NHS and the broader economy.

“Obesity costs the NHS more than £11bn a year, and it also places a significant burden on our economy,” a department spokesperson said.

“With obesity-related illness causing people to take more days off sick, obesity drugs can be part of the solution.”

In addition to weight loss drugs, the department spokesperson pointed to junk-food advertising restrictions and the ban on selling high-caffeine energy drinks to children as part of the government’s broader strategy to address the obesity crisis.