Weight Loss Injections
Non-urgent advice: Please note
We know that media coverage has stated that the injections are available from your GP, however this is for certain patients that meet very specific criteria only and currently there is no GP service in place in North East London for this – please visit NHS England » Weight management injections for further information.
From (23 June 2025) NHS England guidance on Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) stipulates that it must be implemented in primary care. That implementation can be via general practice, federations, or community specialist clinics.
This is a nationally agreed service, with local ICB commissioners. Tirzepatide represents a new therapy for weight management, but requires structured implementation, appropriate monitoring, and clarity around responsibilities.
Responsibility for commissioning local service/ access has been delegated to ICBs. The funding for this is based on population obesity levels and is separated into drug costs and primary care management costs. GPs should engage in prescribing where clinically appropriate and safely resourced to do so.
Tirzepatide prescribing must be accompanied by wrap around support consisting of psychological, nutritional and exercise advice, and this will be delivered separately through a centrally funded digital package in the first year.
The target population for Tirzepatide will be risk stratified into cohorts and the first year will focus on the highest end; those with a BMI ≥ 40 and at least four comorbidities, including:
- A BMI of 40+ (dyslipidaemia/ abnormal fat levels in the blood)
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Obstructive sleep apnoea (when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep)
- Cardiovascular disease (heart and blood vessel disease)
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
NEL ICB has released today, 24/6/25, an Interim Policy Statement: Access to Wegovy® and Mounjaro® for Weight Management on the NHS in North East London.
In summary, NEL ICB is “currently in the process of establishing new weight management services in NEL, in a phased approach. Tirzepatide will be made available on behalf of primary care as part of these services.” The ICB is “working as quickly as possible to make these services available across North East London, over the next few months”. NEL ICB have advised that they “will continue to update this policy statement and share information with local partners” as they finalise their approach.
GPC England has produced a Focus on Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for weight management in General Practice document, which explains how Tirzepatide is used, commissioning arrangements (responsibility for funding lies with ICBs), and responding to information requests from private providers.