Postcode lottery: Less than half of England has NHS access to Mounjaro months after launch
Ed Milner | Last update: 6th September 2025
New figures published by The BMJ reveal that less than half of England has NHS access to Mounjaro (tirzepatide), months after its official rollout. The drug was meant to be a gamechanger in fighting obesity, but limited funding and patchy implementation have left patients and GPs in distress
The reality: limited rollout, growing demand
Although Mounjaro was launched on the NHS in June 2025, only 18 of 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England had begun prescribing it by September, according to a BMJ investigation.
Even fewer ICBs, just 9 out of 42, have funding to treat 70% or more of eligible patients, the figure NHS England claims to be aiming for.
In contrast, some areas like Coventry and Warwickshire received funding to treat just 21% of those eligible (376 of 1,795 people). In Suffolk and North East Essex, it’s only 25%.
NHS targets vs actual numbers
NHS England has said that it expects to treat 220,000 patients in the first three years of the Mounjaro rollout.
But the reality is falling far short:
- Based on data from 28 ICBs, only 14,417 patients are funded for treatment in year one
- NHS England documents suggest a maximum of 22,400 will be treated this year
- That’s just 10% of the 3-year target, raising questions about future capacity
Dr Jonathan Hazlehurst, an endocrinologist at the University of Birmingham, said:
“The rollout has been significantly underfunded. That clearly drives up distress and uncertainty both in patients and primary care – and runs the risk of inequity in access to treatment.”
GPs facing pressure
With limited ICB funding and services still being built, GPs are being overwhelmed by patient requests they can’t fulfil.
In areas like West Yorkshire, general practices have posted notices telling patients they are not yet able to prescribe Mounjaro, despite national media coverage suggesting otherwise.
Dr Tamara Hibbert, chair of Newham Local Medical Committee, said:
“It can’t just fall on the shoulders of GP practices to explain the limitations on availability to an expectant public.”
Who is eligible?
In year one, only patients with:
- BMI ≥40, and
- At least four comorbidities (e.g. hypertension, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnoea, CVD)
are eligible for NHS-funded Mounjaro.
But even among those who meet the strict criteria, most are not able to access the drug unless their local ICB has capacity.
Read: NHS roll out starts – with strict criteria
World Health Organisation
To add to the pressure on the NHS to make access more straightforward yesterday the World Health Organisation designated added semaglutide and tirzepatide to the list of essential medicines for adults worldwide. As you know those are the active ingredients in Mounjaro and Wegovy. It’s clear the revolutionary effects of these treatments to change people’s lives means demand is going to continue to increase.
SlimrChat’s take
We believe that eligibility should mean access, no matter your postcode.
Patients who meet strict criteria shouldn’t have to battle red tape or delayed funding to get the support they need.
This latest data backs what we’re hearing from our community – confusion, frustration, and a growing sense of unfairness.