Overview

• Health Secretary Wes Streeting pledged to extend GLP-1 injection access according to medical need rather than patients’ ability to pay
• Pilot programmes will deliver weight-loss injections through community pharmacies, high-street sites and digital channels to reach underserved areas
• Current NHS criteria limit free injections to people with a BMI of 35 or more or 30 with comorbidities, forcing others to pay about £2,500 annually in the private market
• The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates broader jab access could recover 257,000 working days a year, adding roughly £35.6 million to the economy
• Detailed eligibility expansions and funding arrangements remain under negotiation between the government, NHS and industry partners