Weight Loss Drugs

National news articles today have been reporting about primary care providing weight loss injections. 

GPs in Hertfordshire and west Essex cannot prescribe these medications. 

A new service is being set up by the ICB (integrated Care Board) and will be available to a limited number of eligible patients. Further information regarding weight loss injections and the new service can be found on this website. 

NHS England have defined who will be eligible for referral from 23 June 2025.

To be considered, you must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40* or more, and have at least four of the following five health conditions below:

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure (hypertension) — requiring treatment with medication
• Heart and blood vessel disease (cardiovascular disease) — such as ischaemic heart disease, stroke, heart failure, or peripheral vascular disease. (This does not include conditions such as atrial fibrillation or valvular heart disease.)
• Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) — confirmed by a sleep study and requiring treatment, such as CPAP.
• High cholesterol or triglycerides) — usually based on blood test results or if you take medication like statins.

* If you are from a South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean ethnic backgrounds your BMI should be 37.5 or more