Mapped: NHS patients facing postcode lottery for weight-loss jab Mounjaro
Millions more could benefit from using weight-loss jabs
- Thousands of NHS patients are unable to access the weight-loss jab Mounjaro due to significant funding shortfalls and a slow roll-out across England.
- Fewer than half of England's commissioning bodies have begun prescribing Mounjaro on the NHS, over two months after national guidance was issued.
- Despite an estimated 3.4 million people who could potentially benefit, current NHS funding for Integrated Care Boards covers only a fraction of eligible patients, creating a 'postcode lottery' for care.
- Experts warn that underfunding and poor communication are causing distress for patients and primary care, potentially exacerbating the obesity crisis and its associated costs.
- The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has pledged to improve NHS access to weight-loss jabs, following price increases by Mounjaro's manufacturer in the private sector.