Weight Management Services

The Practice has been given strict guidelines on who we can prescribe this weight loss drug to.  This is based on the criteria stated below, if you do not meet this criteria please do not ask as we will not be able to override the NHS England guidance.  

For eligibility, patients need to have a BMI of 40 and over, and at least 4 out of 5 of the stated co-morbidities:

• Hypertension
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Dyslipidaemia
• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
• Cardiovascular Disease

You must also be between the ages of 18 years - 75 years of age.

If you meet the criteria above and wish to have this prescribed you should also be aware you will be expected to attend a Healthier You: NHS Behavioural Support for Obesity Course.

Once we start prescriing you will be expected to attend the course stated above and a monthly face-to-face appointment where your weight will be checked to ensure the medication is working and the dose is adjusted accordingly.

New Prescribing criteria for Mounjaro (Tirzepatide)

📅 What’s Changing?
From 23 June 2025, the prescribing of Mounjaro (tirzepatide) in General Practice will follow updated NHS criteria.

✅ Who is Eligible?
As part of the phased roll out, Mounjaro (tirzepatide) will only initially be offered to adults meeting the following criteria:
• Must have a BMI equal to or over 40
• Must have 4 confirmed diagnoses of the following 5 health related problems
o Type 2 Diabetes
o Hypertension
o Dyslipidaemia
o Cardiovascular Disease
o Obstructive sleep apnoea

Who should not take Mounjaro?
o Anyone under the age of 18
o Are pregnant or breast feeding
o Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
o Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN2)
o Hypersensitivity to tirzepatide or any of its components

What You Need to Do:
If you believe you meet the new criteria;
• We must have a BMI noted on your records in the last 3 months, if we do not hold this information then please book an appointment to have your height, weight and BMI measured with the Health Care Assistant. If your BMI is 40 or over then you will be advised of next steps.
• Do not stop any current medication without advice.

What if my BMI is below 40?
• If your BMI is below 40 you are not eligible for Mounjaro on the NHS at the current time, however we can offer you referral and advice with regards to weight management.

Available to people with a BMI of over 30 who have a diagnosis of hypertension and/or diabetes.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/NHS-Digital-Weight-Management-Progrmame-Patient-Leaflet_Single-Pages.pdf

Please contact the practice if you require referral to this service

Fo people who have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/diabetes/diabetes-prevention/

Please contact the practice if you require referral to this service

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/

https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight/

Weight loss support groups near Redcar - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

A highly specialised multi-disciplinary clinic comprising a bariatric physician, specialist dieticians, specialise clinical psychologist, physiotherapist, health care support workers and administrators.  For this service, you will need to have engaged with other weight management services.  This service is available for people who are over 18, or over 16 if clinically agrees, with either a BMI over 40, or a BMI over 35 with a co-existing condition such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, severe respiratory disease, sleep apnoea or severe hyperlipidaemia.  This requires referral from your GP.

Liraglutide and Semaglutide are medications which can only be prescribed by a specialist weight management service.

These are medications taken via injection that help you to loose weight by making you feel fuller and less hungry.  Liraglutide is usually taken once a day, and Semaglutide once a week.  You also need to eat a balanced low calorie diet and exercise regularly whilst taking these medications.

There are certain criteria you must fill to be eligible to receive these medications on the NHS – for more information please access this link Obesity - Treatment - NHS (www.nhs.uk).

 These medications, along with Tirzepatide are also available privately through reputable online doctors.

Bariatric surgery.  For this referral, you must have recently attended and complied with a local specialist obesity service weight loss programme for the duration of 12-24 months.  For this service, you need to be over 18 with a BMI over 40, or between 35-40 and have another significant disease and the morbid/severe obesity needs to have been present for at least 5 years.  This requires referral from your GP.

If you're overweight, losing weight has many health benefits. It might help reduce the risk of developing health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  Making small, simple changes to what and how much you are eating and drinking can really help you lose the pounds.

■ To allow individuals who have a range of mild to moderate physical or mental health problems to participate in a structured physical activity programme in a safe, supervised environment.

■ To offer a programme of physical activity, which looks at the individual needs of the referred patient rather than a general approach to certain target groups.

■ To raise awareness of the physical, psychological and social benefits of physical activity with individuals who are not normally physically active.

■ To promote long-term participation in regular physical activity by developing the individual's confidence in being active.

■ To improve participants health, wellbeing and quality of life.

Please contact the practice if you require referral to this service.

This is a 12 week intensive dietary and lifestyle intervention which helps patients loose weight, put diabetes into remission, reduce medication and improve overall health.  To be referred to this service you must be 18-65, be type 2 diabetic for less than 6 years, have BMI over 27 (25 or above in people of south Asian or Chinese ethnicity), HbA1c <108 mmol/l and >43 mmol/l on glucose lowering mediation or >48mmol/l without glucose lowering medication, motivated and ready to change, not on insulin, not pregnant.  If you fit the criteria and wish to be referred, please contact the Practice.

Mounjaro (weight loss injections) - update for patients

Thinking about Mounjaro (tirzepatide) injections for weight loss?

Heard you can now get them from the NHS?

The ICB (Integrated Care Board) have been tasked by NHS England with providing these in GP practices by 23rd June.

But…

Only for very specific groups of patients with a number of particular health conditions - estimated to only be a handful of patients in each practice.

And…

The details of how GPs will be able to provide these injections have still not been agreed.

So…

Please don’t make an appointment about Mounjaro yet - we are very likely to have to disappoint.

[We will contact eligible patients if and when we are able to provide Mounjaro / We will provide further information on our website and other channels if and when we are able to provide Mounjaro.]

Also…

Even when details of how GPs can provide Mounjaro have been agreed, we will need to arrange training and set up clinics, which will take time.

We want to help as many patients as we can, but are limited by the plans of the ICB based on NHS England requirements.

Summary:

Please help us to help you - we will tell you as soon as we can help you with Mounjaro, so please don’t make appointments about this right now.