‘I feel blessed to get weight-loss jab’ – but can the NHS afford it for all?

by | Jan 13, 2025 | Health

BBCRay, 62 from south London, became one of the first patients to receive the weight-loss jab Wegovy on the NHS last year and has lost 14kg (just over two stone) in five months.BBC Panorama joined him as he was prescribed his first dose at London’s Guy’s Hospital, where he was told he would probably need to take the drug all his life to prevent him regaining weight. He said he felt “blessed” to be given the drug.But the NHS spending watchdog NICE has ruled that each patient can only receive Wegovy for two years. And only a tiny proportion of the eligible 3.4 million patients in England are getting access to the drugs.Prof Naveed Sattar, who leads the UK government’s Obesity Healthcare Goals programme, says if everyone eligible was given the drug right away “it would simply bankrupt the NHS”.Being overweight is now the norm and nearly one in three adults in England is obese – double the rate of just 30 years ago.Obesity can be very bad for your health, and treating the complications from it is estimated to cost the NHS across the UK more than £11bn a year.Wegovy and another drug called Mounjaro can help patients lose about 15 to 20% of their bodyweight, according to trials.That sort of weight loss can have a dramatic impact on health, and greatly reduce a patient’s risk of many conditions, from diabetes to cancer, joint problems and heart disease.BBC Panorama has been given exclusive access to the weight management service at London’s Guy’s Hospital, which has begun rolling out Wegovy to a small group of patients who meet the criteria – a body mass index (BMI) of more than 35 and at least one weight-related health complication.They include care home worker Ray, who weighed 148kg or 23 stone when he began taking Wegovy in July 2024. He has struggled with his weight all his life.Ray needs two operations, but doctors have said he needs to lose weight first.With so many patients meeting the criteria, the hospital is prioritising those like Ray who need surgery or who have multiple weight-related health complications.Here, not only is Ray given the drug, which is taken via weekly injection under the skin, but he gets face-to-face support from doctors and dietitians – advice not always given to those buying the drug privately online.They stress the jabs do not do all the work and it is important that patients change their lifestyle, and eat healthier food and smaller portions.Ray is joined at the appointment by one of his daughters, Sophie, who says it would be “amazing” if he could reach his goal of losing three stone: “I wouldn’t recognise him. It would be like I have a brand n …

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