Thousands of patients miss out on weight loss jab due to NHS ‘postcode lottery'
Mounjaro, dubbed the 'King Kong' of weight loss medicine, was supposed to be available through GP surgeries from 23 June under an agreement between NHS England and NICE.
But just eight out of 42 NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England were able to provide treatment to patients, according to Sky News, who obtained the data using a Freedom of Information request. Many other ICBs were reportedly unable to confirm when treatment would be available.
Dr Jonathan Hazlehurst, an endocrinologist and obesity physician at University Hospitals Birmingham, said patients were 'set up for failure' and have been treated unfairly.
"Giving people open promises and setting them up for disappointment and failure is clearly grossly unfair. That's what the current system is doing,' he told the broadcaster.
NICE said in December that the NHS should offer Mounjaro to patients with a BMI of over 40 and at least four clinical conditions related to their weight, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes.
It calculated from NHS England data that there were 97,500 patients who should be treated in the first year.
But Dr Hazlehurst claims NHS England has only provided funding for just over 22,000 patients.
The Independent has approached NHS England for comment.
A spokesperson told Sky News that NHS England had "fully supported the rollout" of Mounjaro.
"We issued guidance and provided funding in March to all Integrated Care Boards to support treatment costs, enable scaling of services and provide wrap-around care, including digital support services,' they said.
It comes after NICE warned many individuals might regain weight if not adequately supported after ceasing treatment.
It stressed that those coming off the drugs should be offered "structured advice and follow-up support" to mitigate weight gain. This guidance applies to individuals receiving these treatments through the NHS.
However, an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK are currently using weight-loss injections, with the vast majority paying privately. These individuals will not be eligible for NHS support once their treatment concludes.
The new 'quality standard' from NICE says that NHS patients should be monitored for at least a year after they complete treatment, and extra support should be offered if needed.
It emphasises building 'long-term behavioural habits, use self-monitoring tools, and draw on wider support – from online communities to family-led interventions and local activities'.
This standard, a type of guidance for the health services in England and Wales, sets out expectations for health providers including how they should support patients.
'Successful weight management doesn't end when medication stops or when someone completes a behavioural programme,' said Professor Jonathan Benger, deputy chief executive and chief medical officer at Nice.
'We know that the transition period after treatment is crucial, and people need structured support to maintain the positive changes they've made.'
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When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. From interviewing sleep experts to reporting on groundbreaking studies, I've managed to glean a lot of advice on how to overcome insomnia after writing non-stop about sleep for almost two years. I've even come up with my very own sleep advice from testing the most innovative sleep products and trying the latest sleep trends, with every technique I try illuminating which sleep hacks are actually worth the hype. Because it turns out that even if you have the best mattress for your needs you can still find yourself lying awake at night, and it helps to have some effective sleep tricks to hand. So, to celebrate all that I've learned as a sleep writer, I've rounded up 20 game-changing, insomnia-crushing sleep tips from top-of-their-field experts, landmark research, and my own personal experience — so you can fall asleep fast from tonight. 1. Have an evening shower Like to kickstart your morning with a refreshing shower? Maybe it's time to ditch it in favor of a warm sleep-inducing evening shower instead. Back in June, NHS physician Dr Tim Mercer at Opera Beds told me it's best to take a shower before bed for improved sleep as it can wash away any irritating allergens collected during the day. "Allergies can hit hard, especially at night," says Dr Mercer. 'For many, that means disrupted sleep, itchy eyes, and endless sneezing. You can shower before bed to wash off pollen, stopping it from transferring to your pillow." Plus, your core temperature will drop after a warm shower, which can help with melatonin production. 2. Have white chocolate for dessert If you like to kick back in the evening with a sweet treat, the bad news is that dark or milk chocolate contains sleep-disrupting caffeine. 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But the 10-3-2-1-0 rule, the first '10' part of which states that you should quit caffeine at least 10 hours before bedtime made me realize how long caffeine affects the brain. 6. Switch your diary with a to-do list Dear diary, today I learned that writing about tomorrow is better for your sleep than going over what already happened. Yes, a study found that those who wrote a to-do list of tasks for tomorrow fell asleep faster than those who journaled about today. So, if you're struggling to fall asleep. grab a pen and notepad and jot down what needs to be done the next morning. 7. Don't sleep in after a late night We've all been there. You stayed up way past your bedtime and now you want to catch up with your ZZZs by sleeping in. However, waking up early after a late night is actually the best way to fix your sleep schedule. "Try to maintain your same wake-up time within a 30-minute window," Alexandra Zatarain, co-founder of Eight Sleep, told me. "So if I go to bed a few hours later, I try to get less sleep than usual by still waking up at my usual wake up time. That's going to help me the following day to feel tired, because the next day, I'm going to want to go to bed at 9pm or 9.30pm [her usual bedtime]." 8. Fall asleep fast on planes by planning ahead I recently spoke to flight attendants to get their best sleep travel tips, and Paula S. Adams, an Aviation & Business Trainer at DoYouSpeakDubai, told me her best advice for falling asleep fast on planes. "Don't take a sleeping pill or supplement on a flight if it's your first time taking them," she advises. "Instead, test it at home a few days beforehand. Plus, don't wear tight waistbands, belts, or jeans, as they restrict circulation and make sleeping uncomfortable." 9. Sleep on your left side 60% of us habitually sleep on our sides, and I spoke to an expert who explained that there are advantages we get when we sleep on our left side. Sleeping on our left side can have a host of benefits and can help prevent health issues that can cause discomfort and insomnia. These include reduction in sleep apnea, snoring, acid reflux, and indigestion. However, he did explain that for certain heart conditions, sleeping on your right side may be better. 10. Don't stress about blue light... For the longest time, I've stressed about my corneas absorbing blue light from my phone and laptop before bed, completely convinced that I've sabotaged my sleep. However, last year, a scientific review was released that changed my perspective and reassured me that blue light isn't as bad for your sleep as we think. 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The research tells us that people can become engrossed in what they're watching and are then more likely to go to sleep much later than they planned to." 14. Try some TikTok trends, but ignore others A doctor recently shared her opinions on the latest TikTok sleep trends, separating the myths from the ones that are actually worth trying. The sleepy girl mocktail, weighted blankets, and white noise machines are just some of the TikTok sleep hacks that got the expert stamp of approval, but other trends such as mouth taping were dismissed as potentially dangerous, with research showing the benefits are little to none. 15. Stay hydrated, but don't drink too much before bed Research has shown that poor sleep has been linked to dehydration, and since dehydration can cause symptoms such as headaches and cramps, it can make it harder to fall asleep. So, drinking plenty of water (and non-caffeinated teas known for sleep-inducing qualities) can stop dehydration in its tracks. However, chugging water before bed can lead to more sleep disruptions, such as nocturia (when you find yourself needing to urinate once or more over the course of the night). With this in mind, it's best to keep as hydrated as possible throughout the day (especially before noon) and cut out liquids around three to four hours before bed. 16. Finish your workout at least 4 hours before bed While keeping physically active is great for your sleep and overall health, you shouldn't make the treadmill part of your bedtime routine. A study published this year found that vigorous exercise before bed can make it harder to fall asleep. Luckily, however, concluding your workout at least four hours before you hit the hay, according to this study, won't have any impact at all. 17. Shift your bedtime gradually to get more sleep Back in December 2023, I made a New Year's resolution to get more sleep. It didn't work, however, because I set myself unrealistic goals by forcing myself to be in bed much earlier that I was used to. What I should have been doing is easing myself into an earlier routine at a more glacial pace. When Trouble Sleeping's Dr Lindsay Browning talked to Tom's Guide about how to fix your sleep schedule, she recommended shifting your sleep by 20 minutes a day to adjust easily and avoid negative side effects. 'Think of fixing your sleep schedule a bit like being jet-lagged,' Dr Browning explained. 'Because basically you are in a different time zone to the one you want to be in.' Just remember, she told us, to move your wake up time forward by 20 minutes each time, too! 18. Plan your evening meals carefully While there's no fixed time that you should be eating dinner for better sleep, the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule recommends finishing your dinner at least three hours before bed to prevent indigestion from ruining your sleep. If you don't come home until late, so it's almost bedtime once you've finished cooking, try quicker but healthy alternatives. There's even a way to have breakfast for dinner without it ruining your sleep. 19. Melatonin gummies can be a great sleep use wisely Melatonin gummies have become a popular sleep supplement in recent years and are considered safe to use overall, with everyone from sleep experts to flight attendants taking them to help their sleep. However, you should only use them as a last resort, Eight Sleep co-founder Alexandra Zatarain warned me. "If I'm really, really tired or a jet lagged and I need a bit of a boost [to relax], maybe I'll have some melatonin," she said. "Just be mindful; don't disrupt your body with a lot of chemical components. "It doesn't mean that they're bad – they're natural chemicals – but they are going to change a little bit of your biology during that time. Ideally you should find solutions outside of that unless you have some sort of medical condition that requires it." She also noted that it's important to speak to your doctor before taking melatonin supplements. 20. Give your sleep a scent And finally, create a sleep environment with a relaxing scent. Lavender-scented pillow mists have always been my go-to sleep aid, but you can use any scent you want — as long as you find them relaxing or comforting. In fact, sleep writer Jenny Haward recently tried (and loved) the 'French woman sleep hack', where you wear the same perfume to bed every night for some sleep-inducing aromatherapy.
