Home / Health / MPs Demand Wider Access to Weight-Loss Injections
MPs Demand Wider Access to Weight-Loss Injections
23 Oct
Summary
- MPs criticize current NHS plan for obesity drugs as too ambitious.
- A two-tier system favors the wealthy for weight-loss medications.
- Obesity costs the UK economy an estimated £75 billion annually.
A cross-party group of MPs has called for increased NHS access to weight-loss injections such as Mounjaro in England. The Health Committee described the current plan to provide the drug to 220,000 individuals by 2028 as "woefully small" and unambitious, noting it covers only about 6% of eligible people. This limited availability has led over a million individuals to pay privately for treatments like Mounjaro and Wegovy, fostering a two-tier system where only the affluent can access effective appetite-suppressing medications.
The NHS is currently facing a 12-year rollout for Mounjaro due to cost considerations, though this timeline is under review. Immediate provision for all 2.8 million eligible individuals is estimated to cost the NHS £15.2 billion over five years. MPs suggest that streamlining patient support, potentially by learning from private providers who utilize digital platforms, could reduce this expense. They also emphasized the economic benefit, given obesity's annual cost of roughly £75 billion.
Additionally, Wegovy is available on the NHS but restricted to specialist weight management services. The committee also demanded action against the black market for weight-loss drugs, attributing its rise to NHS scarcity. They advocate for public awareness campaigns on the dangers of unlicenced products and a regulatory review of online advertising. The MPs further criticized the overall obesity services as poorly designed and resourced, calling for better access to diet programs, lifestyle courses, and bariatric surgery.
