Huge demand for new obesity drugs risks overwhelming NHS, Streeting told

Weight-loss injections are not the “holy grail” of solving the obesity crisis, although they will play an important role in how the NHS treats the disease, the medical director of NHS England has said.

Speaking at a conference hosted by the King’s Fund on Wednesday, Prof Stephen Powis said weight loss drugs were revolutionary and “a very welcome addition to the everyday treatment options we have available within the NHS to manage obesity”.

Although the new treatments could be transformative, he said, “we cannot simply treat our way out of the obesity crisis – we know far wider action is needed on prevention across society, to help stem it at source and stop so many lives being cut short”.

Powis expressed caution at weight-loss drugs being used to treat childhood obesity, saying he “would not want to over-medicalise children and young people”, although these treatments “might have a role in some instances”.

Powis’s comments come after more than 200 doctors and medical experts warned that the unprecedented demand for obesity drugs could overwhelm the NHS.

In a joint letter to the health secretary, Wes Streeting, the healthcare professionals call for an urgent review of services for millions of people struggling with weight.

The letter, coordinated by the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA), says: “New pharmaceutical treatments have resulted in unprecedented public demand for treatment services and added enormous pressure on already stretched commissioning structures. This has made action to address longstanding issues across the entire scope of treatment services an immediate priority.”

The OHA said 4.1 million people in England were eligible for the weight-loss drug wegovy, yet the NHS estimates that by 2028, fewer than 50,000 people will receive treatment each year, even with new funding.

Huge demand for the new drugs, which also include mounjaro, has exposed problems with existing services, the letter says.

Katharine Jenner, the director of the OHA, said: “While the drugs, are safe and effective to be used, they’re just placing even more pressure on the already stretched services.”

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said: “Rather than being a silver bullet, as it’s quite often talked about, these weight-loss drugs are really just so far only highlighting the weaknesses in our current system.

“So, we’ve all joined together to say that we need urgent government action to make these services sustainable and equitable.”

The letter to Streeting says: “Our vision is for a fully resourced system that delivers equitable access to appropriate, tailored and sustained support services to people living with overweight and obesity. This means guaranteeing a consistent, equitable and evidence-informed treatment pathway based on individual needs, providing appropriate person-centred support for all, in a non-stigmatising way.”

On Tuesday, Streeting and Keir Starmer, the prime minister, suggested that the introduction of the weight-loss jabs could help improve the nation’s health and the economy.

Officials have announced plans for new trials to assess the impact of weight-loss treatment on unemployment and the effect obesity has on the NHS.

A five-year trial in Manchester will assess the “real-world effectiveness” of mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide.

Mounjaro, manufactured by Lilly, has been hailed as the king of weight-loss jabs after a previous study found people taking the drug, along with support to make changes to exercise and diet, lost an average of 21% of their body weight over a 36-week period.

The OHA said the phased access plan suggested the rollout would take place over 12 years “due to the cost implications and lack of services in primary care to support access for all who are eligible”.

The Department of Health and Social Care said: “We’re tackling the obesity crisis head-on – restricting junk food advertising on TV and online, along with banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16.”

NHS England said: “With the sheer number of people potentially eligible for these treatments and GP teams already delivering record numbers of appointments, the NHS is working with the government and industry to develop new kinds of services which mean approved treatments can be rolled out safely, effectively and affordably, without impacting other people’s care.”