Weight loss medicines have been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England. These are now available to people in south east London.
These medicines are called Wegovy® and Mounjaro®.
Not everyone will be able to have these medicines straight away. The NHS is making them available first to the people who will benefit the most.
What’s new in south east London?
A new NHS service has started in primary care in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham boroughs from mid‑December 2025. This service will offer Mounjaro® to people with the highest health risks linked to their weight.
People registered with a GP practice in Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich boroughs will continue to access weight loss medicines through specialist weight management services.
The NHS plans to expand primary care access across all six boroughs by summer 2026.
Who can get weight loss medicines in south east London on the NHS?
To access weight loss medicines, you must meet certain criteria. There are currently two different sets of criteria in south east London. The criteria are based on health need and are detailed below:
NHS England cohort 1 criteria
These medicines are for people with the highest health risks linked to their weight.
You may be eligible if you:
- Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more (or 37.5 or more if you’re of South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African‑Caribbean background) and
- Have four or more of the following weight related health conditions:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Cardiovascular disease
- Obstructive sleep apnoea
- Type 2 diabetes
How can people in this group access treatment?
If you’re registered with a GP practice in Lambeth, Southwark or Lewisham boroughs
You do not need to do anything. Your local GP federation will identify people who meet the criteria and will contact you directly to invite you for an appointment.
A GP federation is a group of local GP practices who have come together to work in partnership to deliver services such as this weight management programme. Your usual GP practice continues to provide your day-to-day care and hold your medical record. GP federations only access relevant information when needed to support your treatment.
At your first appointment, a clinician will check you meet the criteria and discuss the most appropriate treatment options. If Mounjaro® is right for you, you will also be required to join a 9‑month support programme to help with lifestyle changes. If Wegovy® is right for you, you will be referred to a specialist weight management service.
If you’re registered with a GP practice in Bexley, Bromley or Greenwich boroughs
Your GP practice can refer you to a specialist weight management service, who will confirm whether you meet the criteria and discuss the most appropriate treatment options.
If weight loss medications are right for you, you will also be required to join a support programme to help you make lifestyle changes (the duration of these may vary between services).
If you’re not registered with a GP practice in south east London, see How to register with a GP surgery – NHS.
South east London urgent access criteria
Some people may need to lose weight quickly for urgent medical reasons.
You may be eligible if you:
- Have a BMI of 35 or more (or 32.5 or more if you’re of South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African‑Caribbean background) and
- Have at least one weight‑related health condition (not restricted to those listed above) and
- Need to lose weight urgently for one of the reasons outlined below:
- You have cancer and need to lose weight to start treatment like surgery or radiotherapy
- You need to lose weight before you can have an organ transplant
- You have a condition called idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and you need regular lumbar punctures, or it is causing vision problems
- You need a planned operation for a serious condition but your BMI is the main barrier to having the operation
- You’re under NHS fertility care and need to lose weight to begin fertility treatment
- You have a condition called obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)
How people in this group access treatment
Your GP practice can refer you to a specialist weight management service, who will confirm whether you meet the criteria and discuss the most appropriate treatment options.
Can my GP practice prescribe these medicines directly?
No. Individual GP practices in south east London cannot start Wegovy® or Mounjaro® themselves.
If you meet the NHS England cohort 1 criteria:
- People registered with a GP practice in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham boroughs: You will be contacted by your GP federation if you’re eligible.
- People registered with a GP practice in Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich boroughs: Your GP practice will need to refer you to specialist weight management services if you’re eligible.
If you meet the urgent access criteria (all boroughs): Your GP practice will need to refer you to specialist weight management services.
GP practices cannot refer directly to the support programme and must not start these medicines outside the NHS pathways.
Alternative sources of support
If you’re not eligible for weight‑loss medicines at this time, there are still services that can help.
- The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme supports adults living with obesity who also have a diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, or both. It’s a 12-week online programme that people can access via a smartphone or computer with internet access.
- Each borough in south east London also has local weight management services (often referred to as Tier 2 weight management services).
Both of these options can be accessed via referral from a GP practice.
We know there’ll be many people who don’t qualify for the weight loss medications. This may cause disappointment or make existing mental health and wellbeing issues worse. People may find NHS talking therapies a helpful source of support.
More information about obesity treatment is available via the NHS website.