Thousands in England Denied Access to Weight Loss Jabs

Thousands of patients in England are facing challenges in accessing weight loss injections through their general practitioners, according to recent figures. The rollout of these drugs, which began on June 23, 2023, has been described by doctors as “not fit for purpose.” The National Health Service (NHS) had initially planned to provide the drug Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide and produced by Eli Lilly, to approximately 220,000 individuals deemed to have the greatest need over the next three years. However, data shows that fewer than half of the commissioning bodies across England have started prescribing the medication.

In the first two months since the launch, only 18 out of 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) have confirmed they are prescribing Mounjaro. Critics argue that this disparity indicates a “postcode lottery” regarding access to these weight loss treatments, as patients in different areas experience varying levels of availability. Most patients currently receiving Mounjaro are doing so through private payments, with around 90% opting to pay out-of-pocket.

An analysis by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), based on freedom of information requests, revealed that many ICBs have not been allocated sufficient NHS funding to cover the eligible patient population. Only nine ICBs reported having the necessary funding to treat at least 70% of their eligible patients. Several ICBs indicated that the funding they received covered only 25% or less of their eligible patient base, with Coventry and Warwickshire cited as the most severely impacted region. This particular ICB stated it had the resources to cover just 376 patients, despite identifying 1,795 eligible patients in the first year.

Concerns Over Inequity in Access

Dr. Jonathan Hazlehurst, a consultant endocrinologist and academic clinical lecturer at the University of Birmingham, voiced significant concerns regarding the underfunding of the rollout. He emphasized that this lack of resources not only increases distress among patients but also leads to inequities in treatment access. “NHS England is talking about treating 220,000 patients in the first three years, but initial funding for year one clearly only covers approximately 10% of that,” he explained.

Prof. Nicola Heslehurst, president of the Association for the Study of Obesity, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the persistent “postcode lottery” in obesity care access. These developments come shortly after Wes Streeting, the health secretary, committed to reducing the financial barriers that prevent individuals from accessing weight loss injections. Streeting conveyed a desire for broader NHS access, especially in light of recent price increases by Eli Lilly, which announced a price hike of up to 170% for Mounjaro in the private sector.

NHS England has stated that it is “fully supporting” the phased rollout of Mounjaro for eligible patients and that funding was provided to commissioning bodies as early as March. The Department of Health and Social Care expressed expectations that commissioning bodies would implement the drug availability as part of the phased rollout, ensuring those with the highest needs could access the treatment.

As the rollout progresses, the effectiveness of the initiative remains under scrutiny, with many patients still left without essential support for their weight loss journeys. The ongoing discrepancies between national policies and local implementations continue to raise concerns about equitable healthcare access across England.