Thousands of patients in England are facing a postcode lottery for access to the weight loss drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide), according to research obtained by Sky News via Freedom of Information requests. The NHS began rolling out the medication at the end of June, with 240,000 people expected to receive it over three years, but only eight of 42 NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) in England are currently providing the treatment.
Many of the remaining trusts could not specify when the drug would become available. Dr Jonathan Hazlehurst, an obesity specialist at University Hospitals Birmingham, criticised the system, saying it was “giving people open promises and setting them up for disappointment and failure”. He added that there was a lack of political will to fund the rollout adequately, noting that obesity costs the NHS £11.4bn annually yet funding for the drug in year one covers only 22,000 patients, far below the estimated 97,500 who should receive it.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates 3.4 million people are eligible for Mounjaro, which mimics two hormones to regulate appetite and blood sugar. Dubbed the “King Kong” of weight loss jabs, a study found it 50% more effective than predecessor Wegovy, with patients losing a fifth of their body weight after 72 weeks. Last October, over 200 NHS healthcare professionals urged the government to review obesity treatment services, warning of “unprecedented public demand” and calling for an end to the postcode lottery.
Alfred Slade of the Obesity Health Alliance stressed the need for equitable access across the country, alongside preventive measures. An NHS England spokesperson said it had “fully supported the rollout”, issuing guidance and funding to ICBs in March. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson stated that ICBs should make the drug available in a phased manner to prioritise those with the highest needs, adding that the government’s 10 Year Health Plan aims to shift focus from treatment to prevention.
