NHS to offer weight-loss drug for urgent cases in Wales
People in Wales who need to lose weight quickly before life-changing surgery or medical treatment will now be able to access weight-loss drugs on the NHS.
The Welsh Government has announced that patients awaiting urgent procedures, including organ transplants and fertility treatment, will be offered access to the weight-loss drug tirzepatide, known by its brand name Mounjaro.
People with conditions such as severe asthma, sleep apnoea or cancer, where weight loss would improve treatment outcomes, are also eligible.
Until now, tirzepatide was only available on the NHS through specialist weight management services. The change aims to ensure that those with the most urgent clinical need can begin treatment without delay while wider access arrangements are developed.
The decision follows approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in December 2024 for tirzepatide to be used in treating obesity in adults. Around 186,000 people in Wales are thought to meet the eligibility criteria.
Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said:
“There is considerable demand for specialist weight management services and growing pressure for access to these medications through the NHS.
“To help meet demand in a sustainable way, we are building capacity and capability, while ensuring people with the most urgent clinical need can access treatment without delay.
“This approach recognises that some people need access now.”
The Welsh Government said it is developing a new model to expand weight management capacity across specialist, primary care and community settings.
This approach will enable tirzepatide and other similar medications to be made available more widely in the future, combined with prevention, early intervention and ongoing support.
Further decisions on how weight-loss medicines are deployed across NHS Wales will be made once the new clinical pathway has been finalised.
[Photo: Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)]
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