Weight loss medicine in south east London
Weight loss medicines have been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England. We are starting to make these available to people in south east London.
These medicines are called Wegovy® and Mounjaro®.
Who can get weight loss medicines in south east London on the NHS?
Our priority is to make these medicines available to people who need them the most.
This means that in order to get weight loss medicines, you must meet certain criteria. You must be overweight with 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 origin) and:
- have 4 or more of the following weight related health conditions which are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, obstructive sleep apnoea or type 2 diabetes
or
- have at least 1 weight related health condition and you need to lose weight urgently for a specified life limiting reason such as cancer treatment or organ transplant surgery
How do you get weight loss medicines in south east London on the NHS?
If you meet these criteria for weight loss medicines, your GP will be able to refer you to a south east London specialist weight loss service who are able to prescribe the medication for you.
Please note: you will only be given weight loss medications if they are safe and right for you.
You cannot go to these services directly. You must be referred by your GP.
If you are not registered with a GP in south east London, please see How to register with a GP surgery – NHS.
We are also working on setting up primary care services that can prescribe these medications for you and will update this page when this is available
Alternative sources of support
The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme supports adults living with obesity who also have a diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, or both, to manage their weight and improve their health. It is a 12-week online behavioural and lifestyle 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. Both of these options can be accessed via referral from a GP.
We know there will be many people who do not qualify for the weight loss medications which may cause disappointment and / or exacerbate new and existing mental health and wellbeing issues. People may find NHS talking therapies a helpful source of support.
More information about obesity treatment is available via the NHS website.