Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the supply of semaglutide in Hazel Grove constituency.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within individual constituencies is not held centrally.

The Department is not aware of any current supply issues for semaglutide. Ozempic and Wegovy, injectable forms of semaglutide, are currently available, and Rybelsus, an oral tablet containing semaglutide, is also available. The Department continues to monitor the situation, ensuring that medicines remain available for new patients with type 2 diabetes, as well as those unable to obtain their existing treatment.

The General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland have also issued a joint statement stressing the importance of health and care professionals meeting regulatory standards in relation to these medicines. The guidance is clear, that medications licensed to treat type 2 diabetes should not be prescribed for weight loss, except where specifically licenced for this use. Any patient who is worried about their condition, or access to these medications, should speak to their clinician in the first instance.