Mass rollout of weight loss jabs begins on NHS
The drug is an antidiabetic drug which lowers blood sugar levels and and slows down how quickly food is digested.
From Monday, GPs in England will be allowed to prescribe Mounjaro to severely obese people who also suffer from a range of other health problems.
Patients previously needed to access the drugs through a special weight loss service.
But leading family doctors said some GPs have expressed concern about the additional workload linked to the rollout.
GPs in England will be able to prescribe Mounjaro from Monday (Alamy/PA)
And pharmacy experts also said there could be pressure on supplies of the drug.
In the first year of the programme, the drug will be offered to people with a body mass index (BMI) score of over 40 who have at least four other health problems linked to obesity, such as type 2 diabetes; high blood pressure; heart disease; and obstructive sleep apnoea.
Estimates suggest around 1.5 million people in the UK are already taking weight loss drugs, which may have been prescribed through specialist weight loss services or via private prescription.
Dr Claire Fuller, from NHS England, said: 'This is an important next step in the rollout of weight loss drugs, with community-based services now able to offer this treatment from today.
'We urgently need to address rising levels of obesity and prioritise support for those who are experiencing severe ill health – and greater access to weight loss drugs will make a significant difference to the lives of those people.
'These drugs are an important tool alongside the range of wraparound NHS support and advice on good nutrition and increasing physical activity, which will be vital in helping some people lose weight and reduce their risk of serious long-term conditions.
'While not everyone will be eligible for weight loss drugs, it's important that anyone who is worried about the impact of their weight on their health discusses the range of NHS support available with their healthcare professional.'
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'While we recognise the potential benefits of weight loss drugs, we know many GPs are concerned about the implications of the rollout of weight loss drugs into general practice, both in terms of workload and training to appropriately initiate and manage these treatments.
'The college shares these concerns, which is why we were pleased NHS England suggested a phased roll-out of Mounjaro as a treatment for weight loss. As and when this is escalated, appropriate resourcing for general practice – including access to 'wraparound' services – and training for GPs must follow.
She added: 'GPs and our teams are already working under intense workload and workforce pressures, and this must be factored into this rollout in order to guarantee it can be delivered safely.
'More widely, whilst weight loss medications have a lot of potential benefits for patients who are struggling to lose weight and who meet all the clinical criteria for a prescription, they mustn't be seen as a 'silver bullet' to aid weight loss.
'We also need to see a focus on prevention, stopping people becoming overweight in the first place so they don't require a medical intervention later.'
Dr Hawthorne said there is no 'one size fits all approach' and that the rollout of the jabs should not 'come at the expense of other weight loss service'.
She continued: 'The roll-out of weight loss medications in the NHS will need to be consistently evaluated to ensure that there is evidence that these prescriptions are of long-term benefit to patients.'
Olivier Picard, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, said: 'The demand for weight loss jabs continues to rise sharply, and more GPs have been directing patients back to pharmacies after initial inquiries, to access these treatments privately.
'As the NHS is now moving to implement National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) guidance, and tirzepatide becomes prescribable to more patients, we expect to see prescription volumes increase rapidly.
'However, NHS provision won't meet demand straight away, so we fully expect that many people will continue seeking it privately from a pharmacy.
'Pharmacists are experts in medication and many of us have lots of experience delivering weight loss injections as part of a package of care including lifestyle advice.
'We are well placed to help roll out weight loss treatment on the NHS, with the right funding to support it.
'The biggest concern we have is that prescribing these medications alone misses the point.
'They should be part of a comprehensive weight management strategy – combining lifestyle coaching, exercise, and nutritional guidance. In reality, many GPs lack the bandwidth to deliver the level of support needed to ensure proper understanding and follow-up.
'As a result, we could end up in a situation where patients are prescribed the medication, lose weight, and then experience rebound weight gain once the course ends – simply because the foundational lifestyle changes weren't addressed.'
Around 29% of the adult population in the UK is obese.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'Obesity is now one of the leading causes of ill health, costing the NHS billions. Yet we now have the science, technology, and knowledge to end the obesity epidemic, if we seize this opportunity.
'Obesity jabs are used by 1.5 million people in the UK, mainly through private prescriptions. The NHS was founded on a promise to 'universalise the best', and this Government is determined to bring revolutionary modern treatments to everyone who needs them, not just those who can afford to pay.
'This rollout is an important step in making these medicines more widely available, and beginning to shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention, which our forthcoming 10-year plan will deliver.'
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30 minutes ago
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Streeting launches investigation into maternity services after families ‘gaslit'
Wes Streeting said that 'up and down' the country 'maternity units are failing, hospitals are failing, trusts are failing, regulators are failing' and there was 'too much passing the buck'. Mr Streeting, who has been meeting families who have lost babies to poor maternity care, told the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) conference in London: 'Over the last year, I've been wrestling with how we tackle problems in maternity and neonatal units, and I've come to the realisation that while there is action we can take now, we have to acknowledge that this has become systemic. 'It's not just a few bad units. Up and down the country, maternity units are failing, hospitals are failing, trusts are failing, regulators are failing. 'There's too much obfuscation, too much passing the buck and giving lip service.' Mr Streeting apologised on behalf of the NHS, having met families in Nottingham and around the country whose children have died or been injured. Senior midwife Donna Ockenden is currently examining how hundreds of babies died or were injured in the care of Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. Mr Streeting said: 'All of them have had to fight for truth and justice, they describe being ignored, gaslit, lied to, manipulated and damaged further by the inability for a trust to simply be honest with them that something has gone wrong. 'I want to say publicly how sorry I am, sorry for what the NHS has put them through, sorry for the way they've been treated since by the state and sorry that we haven't put this right yet, because these families are owed more than an apology. They're owed change, they're owed accountability and they're owed the truth.' The Health Secretary said risk is 'considerably higher' than it should be for women and babies because of a 'crisis' in maternity and neo-natal services. He added: 'Within the past 15 years, we've seen appalling scandals that blew the lid on issues ranging from care, safety, culture and oversight: Shrewsbury, Telford, East Kent, Nottingham. 'The last government responded with initiatives like Better Births in 2016 and the maternity transformation programme. 'But, despite improvements on some metrics, inequalities in maternal and neo-natal outcomes have become more visible, not less. The rate of late maternal deaths has been consistently rising. 'Babies of black ethnicity are twice as likely to be stillborn than babies of white ethnicity, and black women are still two to three times more likely to die during pregnancy or shortly after birth than white women. 'Tragically, that gap is closing slightly, but partly because more white women are dying in childbirth.' Other high-profile scandals had deepened the public's mistrust in the state, Mr Streeting continued. 'From the Horizon Post Office scandal to the infected blood scandal, the degradation of responsibility and trust in our institutions is compounding a cynicism and malaise at the ability of British politics to deliver for people. 'This is a dangerous place for a country to be. 'If we do not admit the scale of the failure in maternity services, we're condemning ourselves to etching that mistrust deeper. 'If we cannot admit openly that we as institutions and as a state got this wrong, we'll never be able to fix it or rebuild that trust. 'Too many children have died because of state failure and I will not allow it to continue under my watch.' The new investigation will consist of two parts. The first will investigate trusts of greatest concern at the moment, including Leeds, Gloucester, Mid and South Essex and Sussex, 'to hold them to account for improvement', Mr Streeting said. He added: 'I'm currently discussing with Leeds families the best way to grip the challenges brought to light in that trust by their campaigning, reports in the media and the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report, and I'll be ordering an investigation into nine specific cases identified by families in Sussex …' The second part of the investigation will be a 'system-wide' look at maternity and neonatal care, uniting lessons from past maternity inquiries to create one 'clear set of actions' designed to improve national NHS care. A National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by Mr Streeting, has also been set up, made up of experts and bereaved families. The investigation will begin this summer and report back by December. A new digital system will be rolled out to all maternity services by November to flag potential safety concerns in trusts, while an anti-discrimination programme to tackle inequalities is being launched. Asked about the cost of the review, Mr Streeting said: 'I suspect it will be somewhat less than the enormous costs we pay in clinical negligence claims. 'Probably the most shocking statistic in this area is that we are paying out more in clinical negligence for maternity failures than we are spending on maternity services. That's how bad things are. 'So, putting together a review team, undertaking the level of analytical work required to produce a really good, high-quality evidence-based report is a drop in the ocean compared to the price of failure.' Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, said: 'Despite the hard work of staff, too many women are experiencing unacceptable maternity care and families continue to be let down by the NHS when they need us most. 'This rapid national investigation must mark a line in the sand for maternity care – setting out one set of clear actions for NHS leaders to ensure high quality care for all. 'Transparency will be key to understanding variation and fixing poor care – by shining a spotlight on the areas of greatest failure we can hold failing trusts to account. 'Each year, over half a million babies are born under our care and maternity safety rightly impacts public trust in the NHS – so we must act immediately to improve outcomes for the benefit of mothers, babies, families and staff.' The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said maternity services are 'at, or even beyond, breaking point'. RCM chief executive Gill Walton said: 'Every woman and family should leave maternity and neonatal services whole, happy and healthy. 'Yet we know that, for far too many, that isn't their experience. 'Systemic failings and a lack of attention to the warning signs have let those families down and let down the hardworking staff who are trying so hard to provide the care they deserve. 'Everyone involved in maternity services: the midwifery community, obstetricians, anaesthetists, sonographers and, of course, the women and families in their care; knows that maternity services are at, or even beyond, breaking point. 'This renewed focus and commitment by the Health Secretary to deliver change is welcome, and we will do everything we can to support him in doing so.' Professor Ranee Thakar, president of the RCOG, said: 'The maternity workforce is on its knees, with many now leaving the profession.' She said that 'for years, maternity units have had too few staff, too little time for training and lacked modern equipment and facilities, resulting in women and babies being harmed.' She urged the Government to 'not to lose sight of funding and workforce shortages within this'.
Leader Live
34 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Streeting launches investigation into maternity services after families ‘gaslit'
Wes Streeting said that 'up and down' the country 'maternity units are failing, hospitals are failing, trusts are failing, regulators are failing' and there was 'too much passing the buck'. Mr Streeting, who has been meeting families who have lost babies to poor maternity care, told the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) conference in London: 'Over the last year, I've been wrestling with how we tackle problems in maternity and neonatal units, and I've come to the realisation that while there is action we can take now, we have to acknowledge that this has become systemic. 'It's not just a few bad units. Up and down the country, maternity units are failing, hospitals are failing, trusts are failing, regulators are failing. 'There's too much obfuscation, too much passing the buck and giving lip service.' Mr Streeting apologised on behalf of the NHS, having met families in Nottingham and around the country whose children have died or been injured. Senior midwife Donna Ockenden is currently examining how hundreds of babies died or were injured in the care of Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. Mr Streeting said: 'All of them have had to fight for truth and justice, they describe being ignored, gaslit, lied to, manipulated and damaged further by the inability for a trust to simply be honest with them that something has gone wrong. 'I want to say publicly how sorry I am, sorry for what the NHS has put them through, sorry for the way they've been treated since by the state and sorry that we haven't put this right yet, because these families are owed more than an apology. They're owed change, they're owed accountability and they're owed the truth.' The Health Secretary said risk is 'considerably higher' than it should be for women and babies because of a 'crisis' in maternity and neo-natal services. He added: 'Within the past 15 years, we've seen appalling scandals that blew the lid on issues ranging from care, safety, culture and oversight: Shrewsbury, Telford, East Kent, Nottingham. 'The last government responded with initiatives like Better Births in 2016 and the maternity transformation programme. 'But, despite improvements on some metrics, inequalities in maternal and neo-natal outcomes have become more visible, not less. The rate of late maternal deaths has been consistently rising. 'Babies of black ethnicity are twice as likely to be stillborn than babies of white ethnicity, and black women are still two to three times more likely to die during pregnancy or shortly after birth than white women. 'Tragically, that gap is closing slightly, but partly because more white women are dying in childbirth.' Other high-profile scandals had deepened the public's mistrust in the state, Mr Streeting continued. 'From the Horizon Post Office scandal to the infected blood scandal, the degradation of responsibility and trust in our institutions is compounding a cynicism and malaise at the ability of British politics to deliver for people. 'This is a dangerous place for a country to be. 'If we do not admit the scale of the failure in maternity services, we're condemning ourselves to etching that mistrust deeper. 'If we cannot admit openly that we as institutions and as a state got this wrong, we'll never be able to fix it or rebuild that trust. 'Too many children have died because of state failure and I will not allow it to continue under my watch.' The new investigation will consist of two parts. The first will investigate trusts of greatest concern at the moment, including Leeds, Gloucester, Mid and South Essex and Sussex, 'to hold them to account for improvement', Mr Streeting said. He added: 'I'm currently discussing with Leeds families the best way to grip the challenges brought to light in that trust by their campaigning, reports in the media and the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report, and I'll be ordering an investigation into nine specific cases identified by families in Sussex …' The second part of the investigation will be a 'system-wide' look at maternity and neonatal care, uniting lessons from past maternity inquiries to create one 'clear set of actions' designed to improve national NHS care. A National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by Mr Streeting, has also been set up, made up of experts and bereaved families. The investigation will begin this summer and report back by December. A new digital system will be rolled out to all maternity services by November to flag potential safety concerns in trusts, while an anti-discrimination programme to tackle inequalities is being launched. Asked about the cost of the review, Mr Streeting said: 'I suspect it will be somewhat less than the enormous costs we pay in clinical negligence claims. 'Probably the most shocking statistic in this area is that we are paying out more in clinical negligence for maternity failures than we are spending on maternity services. That's how bad things are. 'So, putting together a review team, undertaking the level of analytical work required to produce a really good, high-quality evidence-based report is a drop in the ocean compared to the price of failure.' Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, said: 'Despite the hard work of staff, too many women are experiencing unacceptable maternity care and families continue to be let down by the NHS when they need us most. 'This rapid national investigation must mark a line in the sand for maternity care – setting out one set of clear actions for NHS leaders to ensure high quality care for all. 'Transparency will be key to understanding variation and fixing poor care – by shining a spotlight on the areas of greatest failure we can hold failing trusts to account. 'Each year, over half a million babies are born under our care and maternity safety rightly impacts public trust in the NHS – so we must act immediately to improve outcomes for the benefit of mothers, babies, families and staff.' The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said maternity services are 'at, or even beyond, breaking point'. RCM chief executive Gill Walton said: 'Every woman and family should leave maternity and neonatal services whole, happy and healthy. 'Yet we know that, for far too many, that isn't their experience. 'Systemic failings and a lack of attention to the warning signs have let those families down and let down the hardworking staff who are trying so hard to provide the care they deserve. 'Everyone involved in maternity services: the midwifery community, obstetricians, anaesthetists, sonographers and, of course, the women and families in their care; knows that maternity services are at, or even beyond, breaking point. 'This renewed focus and commitment by the Health Secretary to deliver change is welcome, and we will do everything we can to support him in doing so.' Professor Ranee Thakar, president of the RCOG, said: 'The maternity workforce is on its knees, with many now leaving the profession.' She said that 'for years, maternity units have had too few staff, too little time for training and lacked modern equipment and facilities, resulting in women and babies being harmed.' She urged the Government to 'not to lose sight of funding and workforce shortages within this'.
Leader Live
34 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Government launches national investigation into NHS maternity services
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said that 'up and down' the country 'maternity units are failing, hospitals are failing, trusts are failing, regulators are failing' and there was 'too much passing the buck'. Mr Streeting, who has been meeting families who have lost babies to poor maternity care, told the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) conference in London: 'Over the last year, I've been wrestling with how we tackle problems in maternity and neonatal units, and I've come to the realisation that while there is action we can take now, we have to acknowledge that this has become systemic. 'It's not just a few bad units. Up and down the country, maternity units are failing, hospitals are failing, trusts are failing, regulators are failing. 'There's too much obfuscation, too much passing the buck and giving lip service.' Mr Streeting apologised on behalf of the NHS, having met families in Nottingham and around the country whose children have died or been injured. Senior midwife Donna Ockenden is currently examining how hundreds of babies died or were injured in the care of Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. Mr Streeting said: 'All of them have had to fight for truth and justice, they describe being ignored, gaslit, lied to, manipulated and damaged further by the inability for a trust to simply be honest with them that something has gone wrong. 'I want to say publicly how sorry I am, sorry for what the NHS has put them through, sorry for the way they've been treated since by the state and sorry that we haven't put this right yet, because these families are owed more than an apology. They're owed change, they're owed accountability and they're owed the truth.' The Health Secretary said risk is 'considerably higher' than it should be for women and babies because of a 'crisis' in maternity and neo-natal services. He said giving birth carries risk, but 'that risk is considerably higher than it should be because of the state of the crisis in our maternity and neonatal services.' He added: 'Within the past 15 years, we've seen appalling scandals that blew the lid on issues ranging from care, safety, culture and oversight – Shrewsbury, Telford, East Kent, Nottingham. 'The last government responded with initiatives like Better Births in 2016 and the maternity transformation programme. 'But, despite improvements on some metrics, inequalities in maternal and neo-natal outcomes have become more visible, not less. The rate of late maternal deaths has been consistently rising. 'Babies of black ethnicity are twice as likely to be stillborn than babies of white ethnicity, and black women are still two to three times more likely to die during pregnancy or shortly after birth than white women. 'Tragically, that gap is closing slightly, but partly because more white women are dying in childbirth.' Other high-profile scandals had deepened the public's mistrust in the state, Mr Streeting continued. He said: 'From the Horizon Post Office scandal to the infected blood scandal, the degradation of responsibility and trust in our institutions is compounding a cynicism and malaise at the ability of British politics to deliver for people. 'This is a dangerous place for a country to be. 'If we do not admit the scale of the failure in maternity services, we're condemning ourselves to etching that mistrust deeper. 'If we cannot admit openly that we as institutions and as a state got this wrong, we'll never be able to fix it or rebuild that trust. 'Too many children have died because of state failure and I will not allow it to continue under my watch.' The new investigation will consist of two parts. The first will investigate trusts of greatest concern at the moment, including Leeds, Gloucester, Mid and South Essex and Sussex, 'to hold them to account for improvement', Mr Streeting said. He added: 'I'm currently discussing with Leeds families the best way to grip the challenges brought to light in that trust by their campaigning, reports in the media and the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report, and I'll be ordering an investigation into nine specific cases identified by families in Sussex…' The second part of the investigation will be a 'system-wide' look at maternity and neonatal care, uniting lessons from past maternity inquiries to create one 'clear set of actions' designed to improve national NHS care. A National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by Mr Streeting, has also been set up, made up of experts and bereaved families. The investigation will begin this summer and report back by December. A new digital system will be rolled out to all maternity services by November to flag potential safety concerns in trusts. An anti-discrimination programme to tackle inequalities in care for black, Asian, and other communities is also being launched. Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, said: 'Despite the hard work of staff, too many women are experiencing unacceptable maternity care and families continue to be let down by the NHS when they need us most. 'This rapid national investigation must mark a line in the sand for maternity care – setting out one set of clear actions for NHS leaders to ensure high quality care for all. 'Transparency will be key to understanding variation and fixing poor care – by shining a spotlight on the areas of greatest failure we can hold failing trusts to account. 'Each year, over half a million babies are born under our care and maternity safety rightly impacts public trust in the NHS – so we must act immediately to improve outcomes for the benefit of mothers, babies, families and staff.' The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said maternity services are 'at, or even beyond, breaking point'. RCM chief executive Gill Walton said: 'Every woman and family should leave maternity and neonatal services whole, happy and healthy. 'Yet we know that, for far too many, that isn't their experience. 'Systemic failings and a lack of attention to the warning signs have let those families down and let down the hardworking staff who are trying so hard to provide the care they deserve. 'Everyone involved in maternity services – the midwifery community, obstetricians, anaesthetists, sonographers and, of course, the women and families in their care – knows that maternity services are at, or even beyond, breaking point. 'This renewed focus and commitment by the Health Secretary to deliver change is welcome, and we will do everything we can to support him in doing so.' Professor Ranee Thakar, president of the RCOG, said: 'The maternity workforce is on its knees, with many now leaving the profession.' She said that 'for years, maternity units have had too few staff, too little time for training and lacked modern equipment and facilities, resulting in women and babies being harmed.' She urged the Government to 'not to lose sight of funding and workforce shortages within this.'
