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Lower than half of England has entry to tirzepatide (Mounjaro) via their GP, regardless of the NHS roll-out of the weight-loss jab formally beginning over two months in the past, an investigation by The BMJ has discovered.
Because of the massive quantity of people that may benefit from tirzepatide—an estimated 3.4 million folks—and the drug’s worth, NHS England and its spending watchdog, the Nationwide Institute for Well being and Care Excellence, agreed the injections can be rolled out in phases over a 12-year interval, which commenced on 23 June 2025, explains Elisabeth Mahase.
But simply 18 out of 42 commissioning our bodies (43%) throughout the nation confirmed that they’ve began prescribing tirzepatide in step with this roll-out plan.
The information, obtained via Freedom of Info requests, additionally reveals that regardless of NHS England stating that it expects 70% of eligible sufferers to come back ahead for remedy, simply 9 Built-in Care Boards (ICBs)—liable for planning well being providers for his or her native inhabitants—confirmed they’ve been allotted sufficient NHS funding to cowl at the least 70% of their eligible sufferers.
Specialists are warning that the dearth of funding and poor communication to the general public concerning the roll-out are driving “distress and uncertainty both in patients and primary care” and have left ICBs in a tough monetary scenario.
Of the 40 ICBs that responded to The BMJ’s request, 4 reported that the NHS funding that they had obtained covers simply 25% or much less of their eligible sufferers, with Coventry and Warwickshire faring the worst at 21% of its sufferers.
And 5 ICBs have stated they’re already contemplating additional tightening the tirzepatide prescribing standards or rationing the remedy past this 12-year phased plan.
Birmingham and Solihull ICB says it obtained funding to cowl simply 52% of its eligible sufferers, and stated, “Difficult decisions are having to be made to ensure money is spent in the most effective and efficient way possible and for the greatest patient benefit.”
In London, only one out of the 5 ICBs—South West London—has began prescribing tirzepatide, whereas notices urging sufferers to not contact their GP as they can not present these medication have been posted by practices across the nation, together with in Suffolk and North East Essex—the place funding for simply 25% of eligible sufferers has been supplied.
Tamara Hibbert, chair of Newham Native Medical Committee, says, “While there is significant potential for these drugs to benefit patients, the messaging needs to be clear about what they can expect in terms of the criteria for accessing them on the NHS and the funding available at an ICB level.”
Ellen Welch, Medical doctors’ Affiliation UK (DAUK) co-chair, says, “These figures confirm the fear that the roll out is not fit for purpose. There is a huge discrepancy between national messaging and what patients are actually being delivered on a local level.”
Others warn that the underfunding could have a knock-on impact for the next years, particularly as extra folks will turn into eligible every year.
Jonathan Hazlehurst on the College of Birmingham, says, “NHS England is talking about treating 220,000 patients in the first three years, but we can see that the initial funding for year one clearly only covers approximately 10% of that.”
He additionally warns that there are sufferers who would “benefit from really urgent and immediate treatment” with tirzepatide, however will not be at the moment thought-about a precedence.
Nicola Heslehurst, president of the Affiliation for the Examine of Weight problems, says the deficit in funding in contrast with want “is another blow for people living with obesity who deserve evidence-based care to manage their health needs,” including that the present commissioning mannequin has arrange a “postcode lottery” of who can entry weight problems care.
The BMJ contacted NHS England for remark, however obtained no response on the time of publication.
Extra info:
Mounjaro: lower than half of England has NHS entry to jab months after roll-out, distressing sufferers and GPs, The BMJ (2025). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.r1855
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Lower than half of England has entry to Mounjaro on the NHS months after roll-out (2025, September 4)
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