The government has today announced incentivisation for GPs to prescribe weight loss jabs and weight management services.
Commenting on the announcement, Dr Kath McCullough, special adviser on obesity at the Royal College of Physicians, said:
'Committing to improving access to weight loss medications and to evidence-based weight management services in primary care is welcome. Obesity is a chronic, long-term condition, and we know that timely access to high quality support can prevent serious long-term illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers and other related complications.
'Incentivising primary care practitioners to prescribe weight loss medications will go some way to further the access of patients to these medications but it is vital that clinicians across the health service are trained to understand which interventions are most appropriate and when. Weight loss jabs are one of a much broader suite of measures including weight management services and bariatric surgery.
'The government have announced £25m of funding to primary care services, however the government’s NHS 10 Year Health Plan committed to expand access to weight-loss interventions with £85m of funding. We would be keen to see the details of how the remaining £60m will be spent and would encourage the government to publish a long-term obesity treatment strategy.
'Medication alone will not be enough to make meaningful and lasting progress on tackling obesity. Clinical interventions must be complemented with broad, bold action from government to tackle the social and environmental drivers of obesity. It is vital that legislation and national and local policies enable people to lead healthy lives to reduce the impact of overweight and obesity on the individual, the health service and wider society.'