MPs urge wider NHS access to Mounjaro amid concerns over rollout limits
MPs have urged the Government to expand access to Mounjaro on the NHS, saying the current rollout will reach only a small share of eligible patients. A parliamentary committee warned that limited NHS access could push some people towards unregulated sellers, while private prescriptions costing more than £300 a month may deepen inequalities.
The three-year rollout, which began in 2024, aims to provide the drug to 200,000 patients. Mounjaro can currently be prescribed by GPs only to people with a BMI over 35 and at least four serious weight-related conditions; it can help patients lose around a fifth of their body weight after 17 months. MPs also called for digital providers to support prescribing and monitoring, for obesity to be treated as a chronic disease, and for greater use of bariatric surgery, with 6,550 procedures carried out in 2024-25.
In short
- MPs say NHS access to Mounjaro is too limited.
- The rollout aims to reach 200,000 patients over three years.
- MPs suggest digital support and more bariatric surgery.
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The case for
Expanding NHS access could help more people with severe obesity receive an effective treatment, reduce reliance on costly private prescriptions and lessen the risk that patients turn to unregulated sellers. Supporters may also argue that treating obesity as a chronic disease, with proper monitoring and support, would improve care and address a condition linked to serious health problems.
The case against
Keeping access within the current limits may allow the NHS to prioritise patients with the greatest need while evidence, capacity and the costs of wider provision are assessed. A rapid expansion could strain budgets and prescribing or monitoring services, and decision-makers may favour a broader mix of treatment, including support for weight management and bariatric surgery, rather than relying more heavily on one medicine.
Explained simply
Mounjaro is a medicine that can help people lose weight. In England, NHS access is being introduced in stages, with eligibility based on body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight relative to height, and related health conditions.
The NHS is one of several ways people may seek help with obesity, alongside private treatment and services such as weight-loss surgery. Access and cost matter because they affect who can receive treatment, while prescribing and monitoring are needed to support patients’ care.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Give millions more weight loss jabs, MPs demand – as report shows just 6% of eligible patients are offered Mounjaro”.