Mass rollout of fat jabs to unemployed will ‘overwhelm’ the NHS – as clinics already struggle with demand
DEMAND for fat jabs could overwhelm the NHS, the head of the health service has warned as Sir Keir Starmer piled hopes on using them to get obese jobseekers back to work.
Amanda Pritchard, CEO of NHS England, said slimming clinics will need reform to cope with government plans for a mass rollout.
A trial in Manchester will prescribe weight loss injections for beefy benefit claimants to try and get them back into jobs.
Ministers hope the scheme can be used nationwide to tackle worklessness.
But doctors warn they already cannot handle the huge level of interest in the miracle jabs.
The Prime Minister said: “I think these drugs will be very helpful to people who need to lose weight and very important for the economy so people can get back into work.”
Weight-loss drugs could overwhelm already-stretched services
Amanda Pritchard
There are an estimated 16.5million obese adults in the UK.
About 9.3million people are out of work, with many signed off due to ill health.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “For many people, these jabs will be life-changing, help them get back to work and ease the demands on our NHS.”
In an email to health bosses on Tuesday morning, Ms Pritchard warned: “Weight-loss drugs will be a game-changer but without transforming pathways they could overwhelm already-stretched services.”
Around 4.1million people in England are currently eligible for GLP-1 injections for weight loss but fewer than 50,000 per year get them on the health service.
Private prescriptions massively outstrip NHS ones and are predicted to hit one million next year.
They cost £150 to £200 per month through private clinics.
Rebecca Moore, chief operating officer of Simple Online Pharmacy, said: “The NHS cannot be expected to shoulder this alone.”
The jabs work by mimicking a fullness hormone in the gut, stopping cravings and overeating.
NHS England said it could take 12 years to roll out Mounjaro, the strongest drug available, to everyone who could benefit.
The government last night confirmed that pharmaceutical giant Lilly, which makes Mounjaro, will invest £279 million into developing new drugs and treatment in the UK.
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are a hot media topic at the moment, with hundreds of success stories from people who shed the pounds.
In March 2023, the NHS announced it would make Wegovy, a drug made by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, available on prescription to thousands of obese Brits.
It contains the drug semaglutide, which is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk lose weight.
Wegovy, which helped a third of people reduce their weight by 20 per cent in trials, is now available from pharmacies like Boots.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less and therefore lose weight.
To do this, semaglutide mimics the role of a natural hormone, called GLP-1.
GLP-1 is part of the signalling pathway that tells your body you have eaten, and prepares it to use the energy that comes from your food.
London GP and founder of wellgoodwellbeing.com, Dr Zoe Watson, said: “Your body naturally produces an appetite regulating hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1.
“These jabs work by regulating your appetite, which can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight.”
Aren’t they diabetes drugs?
Semaglutide, the active drug in Wegovy, was originally sold under the name Ozempic specifically for diabetes patients.
But people started noticing it helped suppress their appetites, stopping them eating as much and helping them shed the pounds.
Novo Nordisk then developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but at higher doses specifically to aid weight loss.
Wegovy is not prescribed for diabetes patients.
Can I get them?
Wegovy is offered on prescription to obese adults given specialist weight loss treatment.
The NHS currently also offers a similar drug called Saxenda, or liraglutide.
Both are only available throught specialist weight management services, which means you have to be referred to clinics led by experts.
GPs can’t prescribe them on their own, Dr Watson said.
The jabs have to be taken as part of an overall programme to help with lifestyle changes and psychological support to get the best effect from the medication prescribed.
Are there any risks?
Like all medicines, the jabs do not come without side effects.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
What other options are there?
Mounjaro (brand name for tirzepatide) also came onto the market in early 2024.
Like Wegovy, tirzepatide stems from a drug originally designed to treat diabetes.
The weekly injection helped overweight people drop more than two stone in 18 months.
It is available with to order with a prescription online from pharmacies including Superdrug and LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor.
It works in a similar way to Wegovy and Saxenda, but is more effective.
Dr Mitra Dutt from LloydsPharmacy says: “Based on clinical trials, 96 per cent of people were able to lose more than five per cent of their body fat using Mounjaro. In similar trials, 84 per cent of people lost more than five per cent of their body weight on Wegovy, and 60 per cent on Saxenda.
“Mounjaro works by activating two hormonal receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which enhance insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity, and work to decrease food intake.”