MPs urge faster NHS Mounjaro rollout as access reaches fraction of eligible patients
A Commons committee says planned access to the weight-loss drug will cover about 6% of eligible people in its first three years and calls for a faster rollout.
The Commons Health and Social Care Committee has urged the government to speed up access to Mounjaro on the NHS in England, saying the planned rollout will reach only about 6% of eligible people in its first three years. MPs say limited access is pushing patients seeking weight-loss treatment toward private providers.
The plan covers 220,000 people over its first three years, according to PA's report in the Evening Standard. The 6% figure estimates the share of eligible people the plan would reach; it is not a count of people already treated. The BBC reported that the committee described 220,000 as the number planned to have the jab on prescription in 2028.
Why NHS access to Mounjaro is limited
An estimated 2.8 million people meet the eligibility criteria. The NHS estimated that treating all eligible patients if they presented in the first year would cost £15.2 billion over five years, PA reported. NICE agreed to an NHS England request for a gradual rollout, according to the committee account reported by PA.
The BBC reported that the NHS is working on a 12-year rollout, which is under review. The committee wants the government to reassess the pace of access and make better use of digital providers' capacity, according to PA.
MPs warn of unequal access and unlicensed products
Committee chair Layla Moran said obesity should be recognised as a chronic, relapsing condition. She warned that weight-loss drugs remain out of reach for people who cannot afford private treatment and said limited NHS supply had created a two-tier system that deepens health inequalities, PA reported.
The committee also called for better data sharing between GPs and prescribers, and for a review of whether the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has enough capacity to tackle the illegal GLP-1 trade. The BBC reported that MPs want a public awareness campaign about the risks of buying unlicensed weight-loss products online and a review of online advertising regulation.
The report also examined specialist obesity services for children. Clinics commissioned to see between 25 and 200 young people a year had waiting times of about six months, MPs heard, according to PA. In South Yorkshire, the committee said about 16,000 children and young people may meet referral criteria, while places were available to support about 100 families a year.
NHS England said it was looking at ways to accelerate access while prioritising people with the most severe and complex needs, according to the BBC. An NHS spokesperson said the service was testing new routes for starting the medicines, PA reported.
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Sources and context
- Weight-loss drug rollout on the NHS blasted as 'unambitious' by MPsEvening Standard, reporting by PA (Stewart Carr)
- Give more people weight loss jabs on the NHS, say MPsBBC News
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.