Push for UK to be ‘front of the pack’ at dishing out weight-loss drugs
THE UK should be “front of the pack” in dishing out weight loss drugs to obese Brits, Steve Barclay said today.
The Health Secretary last night announced a £40m two-year pilot that will look at ways to make obesity drugs accessible to patients outside of hospitals.
New drugs such as Semaglutide can help adults shed up to 15% of their body weight when used alongside healthy eating, exercise and overall lifestyle changes.
But the medication isn’t currently available outside of specialist weight management services, which are mostly hospital based.
Ministers want the public to have access through the likes of GPs to ease pressure on the NHS.
Mr Barclay told Times Radio: “The importance of obesity is very recognised.
READ MORE HEALTH
“We also recognise the fact that often it is just very difficult for people to lose weight or, if they do lose weight, to keep that off.
“We need to use the latest health medicines available and these drugs really are at the forefront globally of what is possible in terms of obesity.
“We want to make sure the NHS is at the front of the queue and that’s why it’s really exciting to have these pilots.”
A 2019 Health Survey for England found over 12 million adults are obese – a whopping 28% of England’s population.
Meanwhile, 16 million adults are overweight.
Treatments for obesity cost the NHS £6.1bn per year and heap huge pressure on the service.
Rishi Sunak described the new two-year pilot as a “game changer”.
Most read in The Sun
The PM said: “Obesity puts huge pressure on the NHS.
“Using the latest drugs to support people to lose weight will be a game-changer by helping to tackle dangerous obesity-related health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer – reducing pressure on hospitals, supporting people to live healthier and longer lives, and helping to deliver on my priority to cut NHS waiting lists.”