Access to Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for Weight Loss

The new weight management ‘Tirzepatide’ medication (brand name Mounjaro®) is shortly being made available to NHS patients to support weight loss.

Cheshire and Mersey ICB are currently in the process of establishing new community-based weight management services, which are set to launch this summer.  They are working as quickly as possible to make these services available across Cheshire and Merseyside.

We’ll update this page and share information with patients soon as the new service is active, so please check back at regular intervals. Please don’t contact us before we confirm the new service is available , as we won’t be able to refer you.

Availability of the drug is being made available on a phased basis, with the first group of people eligible under the national criteria being people who:

• Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 kg/m² or more (or 37.5 kg/m² for people from minority ethnic family backgrounds)

and

• Have at least four of the following long-term conditions:1.    Non-diabetic hyperglycaemia or type 2 diabetes
  2.    Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  3.    Dyslipidaemia
  4.    Established cardiovascular disease
  5.    Obstructive sleep apnoea

This criteria will not be expanded until summer 2026.

Can I access Tirzepatide straight away through the NHS?

No. Tirzepatide will initially be offered to individuals facing the most significant health risks related to their weight.

At present, you CANNOT gain access to Tirzepatide (or other weight loss drugs) directly from your GP. In line with the rest of England, we are making access to Tirzepatide available in community/primary care settings this summer to those eligible under the NHS England Commissioning Guidance.

Cheshire and Merseyside have updated their website with the full briefing.  For more information please visit: Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) – NHS Cheshire and Merseyside