Weight Loss Injections - What you need to know

The NHS has announced that Mounjaro (tirzepatide) will be available to help people with obesity, there are also other weight loss injections, such as Wegovy (semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide). This news has created a lot of interest, and we’ve been getting many questions about it.

Let’s take a closer look at what this means for you and how it could affect GP services.

What is Mounjaro?

Mounjaro is an injection designed to help with weight loss. It works by making you feel full, so you eat less. In trials, people using Mounjaro lost up to 20% of their body weight.

When Will It Be Available to More Patients??

The NHS has a long-term plan to make Mounjaro widely available. However, this will take time - possibly up to 12 years – to ensure services can manage the demand.

Before April 2026, the injection will be offered, on the NHS, to all those with the highest medical need. Over the next three years eligibility criteria will widen and hundreds of thousands of patients are expected to benefit from it.

What We Offer Right Now

At Whitstable Medical Practice, we know how important weight management is for your health but we are bound by strict national guidelines which mean we can only offer free NHS weight loss injections to eligible groups of patients. Eligibility criteria is strict and you must meet this at point of assessment in order for us to be able to proceed. If you are eligible for NHS weight loss injections you will receive a personal letter from the practice.

For latest NHS information please visit NHS England Weight Management Website

Private Vaccinations

We understand that many patients are not prepared to wait and are choosing to access private weight loss services as a result.

In order to provide a safe and local service for patients we are now offering private weight loss injections for patients, where clinically appropriate. Please visit our Estuary View Private Medical Services website for more information.

Published: Mar 13, 2026