GP poll finds denying weight-loss drugs could cost NHS nearly £800m in GP time

Rejecting patients who want weight-loss drugs could cost the NHS about £786 million in GP time over the next year, according to CheqUp, a private weight-management provider conducting a survey of 500 NHS GPs. The analysis argues the cost to deny access would run roughly twice the NHS’s current annual spend on prescribing the medications. Earlier this year, the Health Service authorised GPs to begin offering the jabs Wegovy and Mounjaro to a broader pool of patients—specifically, those with obesity and certain comorbidities—though access remains tightly restricted. Official figures show about 220,000 adults currently qualify for the drugs, while some public-health estimates suggest as many as 15 million could benefit from their effects.

CheqUp's survey found that demand far outpaces the existing criteria, with about 375,000 patients who do not meet the eligibility criteria requesting the drugs each week. If each GP consultation lasts ten minutes and costs £39, the firm argues that the total time spent denying requests will approach £786 million over the next 12 months, a figure eclipsing the NHS’s £317 million annual weight-management jab budget. The poll highlights the tension between expanding access to anti-obesity medicines and the resources required to administer and adjudicate requests.

The drugs Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are appetite-suppressing medications that, for some users, can lead to substantial weight loss. As of now, NHS eligibility restricts access to patients with a body-mass index (BMI) over 40 who also have at least four weight-related conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. The broader question of expanding access remains under consideration by policymakers and health-system administrators.

Analysts note that current spending on weight-loss injections is modest relative to the potential benefit of wider use, but they caution that any expansion would require careful budgeting for ongoing prescriptions, monitoring, and the administrative work of processing applications and refusals. The CheqUp figures are based on a private poll and do not represent an official NHS forecast or policy directive.

In the broader health policy context, obesity remains a central focus for preventive health strategies, with authorities weighing the long-term costs and potential savings from improved metabolic health against the immediate budget needs of expanded drug access and healthcare delivery.