Important Update: Weight-Loss Medication (Tirzepatide/Mounjaro)

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What’s happened:

From 23 June 2025, NHS England has extended GP prescribing rights to include tirzepatide (commonly known by the brand Mounjaro) for weight management .

However, in the Birmingham & Solihull Integrated care System (BSOL ICS) we are:

· Currently not permitted to prescribe it for weight loss unless it is for type 2 diabetes where it fits with the treatment plan.

· Continuing to direct any patient requests to the ICB specialist weight management services, not primary care clinicians.

Why this matters;

· BSOL is following a phased national rollout focused on safely delivering services, staff training, and fair access.

· In BSOL, Mounjaro will not be for GP prescribing as the plan is for alternative routes of access to be developed within the locality outside of your usual general practice team.

What this means for patients;

If you’ve been requesting Mounjaro (or other weight-loss injections) via your GP:

1. Please do not contact GPS for Mounjaro prescribing for weight loss. Your GP cannot process these requests.

2. In the meantime, help for weight management is available via the following routes;

o Self-referral to Lifestyle Gateway: Phone: 0800 599 9880, Email: info@gatewayfs.org, Visit: www.gatewayfs.org

o If you have diabetes or hypertension you are eligible for a 12 week national weight management programme -please ask us to refer you.

o If you have prediabetes (an HbA1c of 42-47mmol/mol) you are eligible for the National Diabetes Prevention Programme which can be digital or face to face.

o BSOL’s specialist weight management (tier 3/4) services if your BMI is > 50 and you are interested in bariatric surgery.

We will share further information as soon as we receive it from the ICB or you can get more information directly from the following website, which is kept up to date. Weight management :: NHS Birmingham and Solihull

Any complaints/concerns regarding this can be directed to ICB’s Patient Experience and Complaints Team. bsol.patientexperience@nhs.net

Call: 0121 203 3313