Key Summary
- HSCC said that weight-loss services are poorly designed and resourced, creating a postcode lottery that fails those who need help most.
- Access could be improved with involvement of online providers enabled by greater data sharing.
- The report recommends an increase in capacity for bariatric surgery.
The Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) has called for an overhaul of the NHS’s support for people battling obesity and wants it to be treated as a long-term, managed condition like diabetes.
In its new report, the cross-party committee wants obesity to be reframed as a chronic, relapsing condition with life-long physiological impacts.
They said that weight-loss services across the country are poorly designed and resourced, creating a postcode lottery that fails those who need help most.
In the UK, 30% adults were living with obesity in 2024, and 66% were either overweight or living with obesity.
The report said the government should develop a plan to improve standards for weight-loss treatment, with increased capacity, clear waiting times, structured pathways for all patients and improved staff training.
It pointed out that GLP-1 medications are out of reach for the majority of eligible people due to their scarce availability on the NHS.
This has created a two-tier system determined by ability to pay.
Access could be improved with involvement of online providers enabled by greater data sharing, and ambitious targets should be set for providing GLP-1 to eligible people, the report added.
The report said the current plans to rollout Mounjaro are "unambitious' given the scale of the challenge of obesity and reach a woefully small number of people who could benefit from this lifechanging treatment.
It said there are opportunities to learn from the private sector and better use the capacity of digital providers.
A vast majority of weight-loss jabs are being prescribed privately and online rather than via the NHS.
In May 2025, the Tony Blair Institute, quoting IQVIA research, said 1.4 million people receive private prescriptions of GLP-1s per month, compared with an estimated 200,000 people via the NHS.
The HSCC report said that medication won’t always be the most effective approach for all individuals – referrals to dietary and exercise courses, or bariatric surgery, may be appropriate for some people, but these services aren’t sufficiently available across the country.
The report recommends an increase in capacity for bariatric surgery.
The Committee also makes recommendations on regulating the black market of weight-loss drugs.
HSCC Chair Layla Moran MP said: “Our report urges the government to make improvements to obesity care a priority – both to improve public health and quality of life, and to save the NHS billions in the long-term.
"This should be done through a new, nationally available care pathway modelled on how diabetes is tracked and managed. This must also be coupled with a change in attitudes, and in language used in policy making, to properly recognise obesity as the serious health condition that it is.
“Weight-loss drugs have been a positive innovation but they remain out of reach for those who can’t afford them.”
Involve pharmacies to improve access
The leaders of pharmacy organisations want the government to involve community pharmacies in its drive to increase access to weight loss drugs.
Company Chemists’ Association Chief Executive Malcolm Harrison said: “Given the growing burden of obesity, the Committee have rightly called for the NHS to roll out access to weight loss medicines at pace. Our members have a strong track record of providing weight loss services for patients both in-pharmacies and online.
"As highly accessible and trusted healthcare settings, pharmacies are ideally placed to help expand the NHS’ reach - creating additional capacity and providing access to those who may otherwise struggle to access support.
"The benefits of weight loss services cannot be underestimated. With the advent of Independent Prescribing pharmacists, a national, pharmacy-led pathway, alongside existing private services, would significantly expand access, and should be commissioned without delay.”
National Pharmacy Association Chief Executive Henry Gregg said: "We agree with MPs that the NHS rollout remains extremely slow, with many people who could benefit from treatment being unable to access it.
"Community pharmacy is ready to support a wider rollout, which will help eligible patients access treatment safely and help mitigate the impact of obesity on the NHS.
"Pharmacies are well placed to deliver this service and already treat the vast majority of patients accessing this treatment in the UK.
"Not only does this slow NHS roll out create a postcode lottery for patients but it also inadvertently helps to fuel a growing black market for unlicensed or counterfeit versions of GLP-1 treatments."
Important role for online pharmacies
Pharmacy2U Chief Medical Officer Dr Kieran Seyan said: “GLP-1 medications can have life-changing results for patients who meet the clinical criteria, but the pace of rollout through NHS channels means many eligible patients face a long and uncertain wait to access the treatment unless they are able and willing to pay for the medicines privately.
“The Committee’s report rightly recognises that digital healthcare providers have an important role to play in helping more patients access treatment safely and appropriately. Better sharing of digital patient records between providers will be an important step in supporting this.
“One of the greatest concerns is that delays in accessing treatment could push more patients towards unregulated suppliers. We’ve already seen troubling evidence of people turning to the black market, exposing themselves to counterfeit medicines, inappropriate dosing and serious health risks.
“Improving access must go hand in hand with patient safety. These medications are not a quick fix, and patients should receive structured, clinically supervised support before, during and after treatment”
