Weight Loss Injections - What You Need to Know

Information for patients on new weight loss drug tirzepatide

The NHS has announced that Mounjaro (tirzepatide) will soon be available to help people with obesity, there are also other weight loss injections, such as Wegovy (semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide). This news has created a lot of interest, and we’ve been getting many questions about it.

Let’s take a closer look at what this means for you and how it could affect GP services.

Current Position:

Recently there has been a lot of media coverage on the use of weight loss injections (Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy). We currently provide these medications for eligible type 2 diabetes patients who are struggling with clinical obesity under diabetes optimisation plans or for patients who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 35 AND at least one obesity-related health problem, like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease.

What is Mounjaro?

Mounjaro is an injection designed to help with weight loss. It works by making you feel full, so you eat less. In trials, people using Mounjaro lost up to 20% of their body weight.

When Will It Be Available to More Patients??

The NHS has a long-term plan to make Mounjaro widely available. However, this will take time – possibly up to 12 years – to ensure services can manage the demand.

From March 2025, the injection will be offered to those with the highest medical need, via weight management services. Over the next three years, about 220,000 people are expected to benefit from it.

What We Offer Right Now

At Giffords Surgery, we know how important weight management is for your health. Whilst we are only able to prescribe to certain eligible cohorts through our surgery, we can support you with information on NHS programs that focus on healthy weight management more information is here or contact us vie e consult.