Weight Loss Service
This service is not suitable for patients that are pregnant, breast feeding, or trying to conceive.
Available treatments
Wegovy
Mounjaro
BMI Calculator
Wegovy and Mounjaro lower body weight in humans mainly through reducing calorie intake. It regulates appetite by increasing feelings of fullness, while lowering feelings of hunger, leading to reduced food intake.
How It Works
Book an appointment
During booking you will be asked for your BMI measurements, which you can find using the calculator above. This service is only available to patients with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 27 kg/m2 or to people with a BMI of 30.0 kg/m2 or more.
Attend your consultation
During your appointment our nurse or pharmacist will assess your needs, complete a health questionnaire, take any necessary measurements and offer advice.
Get your treatment
If eligible you will receive your medication during the appointment, if you meet the criteria the nurse will give you your treatment. You will be asked to administer the first dose in clinic under supervision.
Prefer to get your treatment delivered?
If you would prefer to get a doctor prescribed weight loss treatment delivered. There are several prescription weight loss treatments available, depending on what you prefer and what is suitable for you.
Am I eligible for the service?
It can only be prescribed to adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index (BMI) of at least 27 kg/m2 or to people with a BMI of 30.0 kg/m2 or more. It is prescribed as part of a weight management programme that might include diet changes and exercise. You will be asked to submit your BMI on booking, using the calculator on this page, and the nurse or pharmacist will take your measurements and blood pressure during your appointment.
How much weight can I lose?
All weight loss medicine should look to be supported with diet and exercise where possible in order to appropriately manage weight. This combined approach can also increase how much and over what time period you lose weight. For further advice on safe weight management with diet and exercise see the NHS Live Well resource here.
Can exercise help me to manage my weight and health?
Yes!
NHS Choices suggests adults should aim to:
- do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week
- do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week
- spread exercise evenly over 4 to 5 days a week, or every day
- reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity
What is the difference between Ozempic and Wegovy?
Ozempic is an injectable type 2 diabetes medication taken once a week. It contains the active ingredient semaglutide. Ozempic is currently not available in the UK for weight loss as it has not been licensed. Wegovy is a version of Ozempic made for weight loss, licensed to be used in the UK.
Are there any other reasons that weight-loss injections might not be suitable for me?
The weight loss injection service is not suitable if any of the following apply:
Patient currently not registered with a GP
● Confirmed anaphylactic reaction to either:
o A previous dose of semaglutide (Wegovy) or other GLP-1 agonist
o Any of the components of the medication – refer to specific product information for list of excipients (www.medicines.org.uk) (e.g. propylene glycol)
● Informed consent has not been given for the supply or administration of the medication.
● Patients aged under 18 years or over 75 years of age.
● Current pregnancy or planned pregnancy within the next 2 months
● Breastfeeding
History of / current eating disorder (includes bulimia and anorexia nervosa)
● Concomitant use of other GLP-1 agonists (see interactions below)
● Concomitant use of other weight loss medication (e.g. orlistat, Mysimba etc)
● Diabetes (Type 1 or Type 2)
● Pre-diabetes
● Patients with renal impairment
● History of pancreatitis
● Diabetic retinopathy (diabetics are wholly excluded)
● Heart failure
● Weight gain suspected to be caused by current medication
Needles
You will be supplied with needles where applicable. See the package information leaflet and the administration video to understand how to use and attach the needles. Needles should be for subcutaneous use and no more than 8mm in length and a gauge of 31/32G is recommended.
You should consult your healthcare professional or local pharmacist for more information on use of needles for this service.
Needle Disposal
You should be in possession of a sharps bin if you are using our service. Please use the sharps bin to dispose of used needles. If you require disposal of your sharps bin please see the following link.
We would recommend waiting until your sharps bin is nearly full or you are terminating treatment before requesting a collection from your local council, as you may not be entitled to have several collections in a year. Each council may have different provisions.