GP poll finds denying weight-loss drugs could cost NHS twice as much as prescribing them

Rejecting patients who want weight-loss drugs could cost the NHS twice what it spends on prescribing them, a poll of GPs suggests. The private weight-loss jab provider CheqUp surveyed 500 NHS GPs about requests for Wegovy and Mounjaro, finding that many more patients are seeking access than currently qualify. The Health Service has begun allowing GPs to offer the jabs to a select group of obese patients with specific underlying health conditions, and the poll argues that the time spent denying prescriptions could dwarf the savings from restricting access.

Under current rules, access is limited to patients with a BMI over 40 who also have at least four weight-related conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure. About 220,000 adults currently qualify for the drugs, while some estimates say up to 15 million could benefit. CheqUp's analysis says about 375,000 patients who do not meet the criteria request them each week. Based on a well-recognised estimate that a ten-minute GP appointment costs £39, the firm argues that, over the next 12 months, the NHS could spend nearly £800 million denying access.

CheqUp notes that the annual NHS weight-loss jab budget is about £317 million, a gap the poll frames as evidence that denial spending could overshadow current spending on the drugs themselves if demand continues. The results highlight a broader policy tension as interest in obesity treatments grows while eligibility remains tightly defined, creating administrative burdens for general practices.