BRIEFING NOTE
PRESCRIBING MOUNJARO (TIRZEPATIDE) IN GENERAL PRACTICE FOR WEIGHT LOSS
AT PRESENT, AND UNTIL AT LEAST AUGUST 2025, GENERAL PRACTITIONERS CANNOT PRESCRIBE MOUNJARO (TIRZEPATIDE) FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Although NICE issued guidance in December 2024 that the NHS should provide Mounjaro (tirzepatide) to patients for weight loss from June 2025, presently it is unknown whether NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (NHS LLR) will be arranging for General Practices, Weight Loss Services, or another service to provide this. The service will not start until at least August.
NHS England has provided funding for a very limited number of patients to be prescribed tirzepatide (425 in total for this year for the whole of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland).
NHS LLR has also decided that patients cannot be referred for NHS care to Right to Choose providers like ‘Oviva.’
The criteria are very strict (see below – for this year a BMI greater than 40, and at least four qualifying medical problems), but even so the number of eligible patients in LLR will be far in excess of the number being funded.
Patients with any further questions or concerns can contact NHS LLR:
Room G30, Pen Lloyd Building, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8TB
Email: llricb-llr.enquiries@nhs.net Telephone: 0116 295 3405
The following table:
Year – Year 1 – 2025/6
Estimated Cohort Duration – 12 months
Cohort – l
Cohort Access Groups
Comorbidities – ≥4 ‘qualifying’ comorbidities:
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidaemia
- Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
BMI* – ≥40
Year – Year 2 – 2026/7
Estimated Cohort Duration – 9 months.
Cohort – ll
Cohort Access Groups
Comorbidities – ≥4 ‘qualifying’ comorbidities:
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidaemia
- Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
BMI* – 35-39.9
Year – Year 2/3 – 2026 and 2027/8
Estimated Cohort Duration – 15 months
Cohort – lll
Cohort Access Groups
Comorbidities – 3 ‘qualifying’ comorbidities:
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidaemia
- Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
BMI* – ≥40
*Use a lower BMI threshold (usually reduced by 2.5 kg/m2) for people from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean ethnic backgrounds.
Version 2. Information Accurate as of 17 June 2025
ADVISE SUPPORT REPRESENT
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Local Medical Committee
109 Station Road, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8GS
enquiries@llrlmc.co.uk
www.llrlmc.co.uk
0116 296 2950
Company Registration number: 06278584
Place of registration: England and Wales Registered office: Edward House, Grange Business Park, Leicester, LE8 6EP
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