Access to weight management medications

The National Insititure for Health and Care Excewllence (NICE) has approved Tirzepatide and Semaglutide, two medications for the managhement of overight and obsetiy. 

The NHS is now rolloing out the se medication for people who meet the eligibility criteria, starting with people who are at highest risk of ill health, or who are experiencing the most severe ill health due to living with obesity. 

These individuals  are being priositised becasdeu the MHS does not have the servic es or existing resourcesto manage the number of peopl ewho could potentially be eligibile for weight management medications. This means not everytine who wishes to uses these medications, meets the criteria will be able to access them immediately. 

In the first phase of the roll-out of mweight manageement medications (between now and APril 2026), people with a BMI of 40 or above (or 37.5 fir people from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black Africian or Africian - Caribbean ethnic backgrounds), and with four or f the following diagnosed health conditions will be prioritised: 

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Hight Blood pressure 
• Heart Diseases 
• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea 
• Abnormal Blood fats 

If you do NOT meet all the criteria abose, please no not contact the surgery to ask for these new injections. 

We are following strict NHS guidance and will not be able to prescribe them to you at this time. 

In the meantime we can provide social prescribing referrals to local gyms and weight loss groups like Slimming World to those who wish to access community based help. 

Slimming World referrals can be made here

Phyisical Activities Referrals Service can be made here

There are currently no specialist weight management services commissioned in the Greater Manchester area (June 2025)

Published on 23 June 2025