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Can you get weight loss injections on the NHS?

Simon Edward • 26 November 2024

Can you get weight loss injections on the NHS, or do you have to use a private clinic? Get the straight facts.

A woman is getting an injection in her arm.

You may have heard about the revolutionary weight loss injections Mounjaro and Wegovy (Ozempic).

These medications have won lots of praise from patients and medical professionals alike – not least because they can be so effective.

When taken along with a diet and exercise regime, Wegovy leads to an average 15% weight loss.¹ With Mounjaro, the results are often even better – Mounjaro patients lose 21% of their body weight on average.²

As with all drugs, there are potential side effects – but for most patients, these tend to be fairly mild and easy to manage.

When prescribed by a doctor and taken appropriately, these medications can change people's lives.

And they couldn't have come at a better time. According to government data, nearly 26% of UK adults are living with obesity and a further 37.9% are overweight.³ Obesity is a disease that can increase the risk of developing heart problems, joint issues, stroke and certain types of cancer.

So, the more people who can access the medications, the better – right? Surely you can get these game-changing weight loss treatments on the NHS?

The short answer is, 'Yes, Mounjaro and Wegovy are approved for NHS treatment'. The long answer is a little more complicated.

Let's dive in.

Can you get Wegovy (Ozempic) on the NHS for weight loss?

Wegovy is a weight loss injection with the active ingredient semaglutide. It became available on the NHS in the UK on 4 September 2023.⁴

However, at the time of writing (November 2024), you can only get Wegovy on the NHS if you're referred to a specialist weight management clinic.

To be eligible for NHS treatment, you must also:

Have a BMI of 35 or greater (BMI is a measure of body fat based on your weight and height)

Have a health condition related to obesity, such as heart disease or high blood pressure

Have tried conventional ways of losing weight (such as diet and exercise) without success

In certain circumstances, the BMI cut-off will be lower than 35. For example, people from certain

ethnic backgrounds may be more susceptible to obesity-related health conditions and may qualify at a lower BMI.

A woman is standing on a scale in front of a couch.

Currently, accessing Wegovy privately is often easier than getting an NHS prescription. That's one reason many choose to use a private healthcare provider like SemaPen.

If you go down the private route, you'll still need to have a consultation with a doctor and get a prescription. However, the criteria for approval are often different and often less restrictive than the NHS criteria.

For instance, to be approved for the SemaPen programme, you must:

Have a BMI of 30 or greater

Have a BMI of 27 or greater, as well as a serious condition linked to obesity

If you take our online consultation, we'll also ask you questions about your medical history, ethnic background and lifestyle. This is to make sure that it's safe and appropriate for you to take the medication.

Hasn't semaglutide been available on the NHS since 2019?

Yes. But there's an important distinction to make between two drugs: Ozempic and Wegovy.

Both use the active ingredient semaglutide. Ozempic was the first to become available on the NHS – it was approved in 2019.⁵ Wegovy followed in 2023.

The difference between the two drugs is what they're approved for. Ozempic is only licensed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Wegovy, meanwhile, is approved for weight loss.

That hasn't stopped some doctors from prescribing Ozempic on an 'off-label' basis to help people lose weight. However, this practice can cause supply issues for the diabetic patients who need the drug.

Since Wegovy is now approved UK-wide, there's really no reason to seek out Ozempic if you want to access semaglutide on the NHS. Wegovy is designed to treat obesity and, unlike Ozempic, is available in a higher dose that works best for weight loss.

Isn't there an NHS semaglutide pilot scheme that will make the drug more widely available?

Yes and no.

In June 2023, the government announced a two-year pilot⁴ that will look at making weight management services more widely available to those who need them. As part of this pilot, the government will consider allowing GPs to prescribe weight loss medications without needing to refer patients to a specialist.

A nurse is looking at a tablet with a patient.

However, at the time of writing, we don't know what the outcome of this pilot will be. The government may decide to make weight loss injections available from GPs, stick with the current system or do something else entirely.

Can you get Mounjaro on the NHS?

Mounjaro is an injectable weight loss drug with the active ingredient tirzepatide.

You can get tirzepatide on the NHS – but currently only as a treatment for type 2 diabetes and only under certain circumstances.⁶ If you want to take Mounjaro for weight loss, your only option right now is to use a private healthcare provider.

However, this is set to change as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) considers a recent proposal by NHS England.⁷

The proposal, announced in October 2024, sets out plans for a phased launch of Mounjaro as an NHS obesity treatment.

If approved, the proposal will see Mounjaro made available to patients in stages, based on the seriousness of their condition:

First, it would be made available to patients with a BMI greater than 40 and at least three specific weight-related health problems.

Next, it would be offered to patients with a BMI greater than 40 plus two weight-related health problems.

Finally, it would be offered to patients with a BMI greater than 40 and one weight-related health problem.

As with Wegovy, this means Mounjaro will typically be easier to access privately than on the NHS. At SemaPen, for instance, the criteria for Mounjaro treatment are the same as those for Wegovy:

You must have a BMI of 30 or greater.

Alternatively, you must have a BMI of 27 or greater plus a serious condition linked to obesity.

Are you interested in losing weight and haven't seen the results you want from diet and exercise alone? You may be eligible for treatment with injectable weight loss medications through SemaPen. To find out, you can take our online consultation – you'll receive an instant response.

Sources

1. Wilding, J.P.H. et al. (2021) "Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity" New England Journal of Medicine, 384(11)

https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183

2. Jastreboff, A.M. et al. (2022) "Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity" New England Journal of Medicine, 387(3)

https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038

3. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn03336/

4. https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/04/accessing-wegovy-for-weight-loss-everything-you-need-to-know/

5. https://pf-media.co.uk/news/novo-nordisk-launches-new-type-2-diabetes-treatment-ozempic/

6. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta924/chapter/1-Recommendations