The local Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Medical Committee have issued the below statement
AT PRESENT, AND UNTIL AT LEAST AUGUST 2025, GENERAL PRACTITIONERS CANNOT PRESCRIBE MOUNJARO (TIRZEPATIDE) FOR WEIGHT LOSS.
“Mounjaro or tirzepatide is not yet available in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for weight loss. General Practitioners CANNOT prescribe this drug for weight loss at present. Please do not contact your general practice about this until it is announced it will be available.” says LLRLMC(1).
Publication date: 23 June 2025
Although NICE issued guidance in December 2024 that the NHS should provide Mounjaro (tirzepatide) to patients for weight loss from June 2025, presently it is unknown whether NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (NHS LLR) will be arranging for General Practices, Weight Loss Services, or another service to provide this. The service will not start until at least August 2025.
NHS England has provided funding for a very limited number of patients to be prescribed tirzepatide (425 in total for this year for the whole of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland).
NHS LLR has also decided that patients cannot be referred for NHS care to Right to Choose providers like ‘Oviva.’
The criteria are very strict (see below – for this year a BMI greater than 40, and at least four qualifying medical problems), but even so the number of eligible patients in LLR will be far in excess of the number being funded.
Patients with any further questions or concerns can contact NHS LLR:
Room G30, Pen Lloyd Building, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8TB
Email: llricb-llr.enquiries@nhs.net Telephone: 0116 295 3405
Dr Grant Ingrams (Chief Executive, LMC) said “We know that many patients will be disappointed that they cannot access this effective weight loss medication in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. We are asking patients not to approach their general practice of make an appointment to discuss this at the moment. Once it is available, this will be announced, but this will not be until at least August 2025.”
Ends
More information on this position is available from the LLR LMC