Tirzepatide

(asked on 1st September 2025) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England’s publication entitled Interim commissioning guidance: Implementation of the NICE Technology Appraisal TA1026 and the NICE funding variation for tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for the management of obesity, published on 27 March 2025, what estimate (a) NHS England and (b) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have made of the number of patients eligible for Mounjaro in each year from 2025-26 to 2027-28.


Answered by
Ashley Dalton Portrait
Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 9th September 2025

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on the use of licensed medicines based on an assessment of their clinical and cost-effectiveness. NICE published the estimated total eligible population for tirzepatide for obesity (Mounjaro) in its technology appraisal, with the code TA 1026, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta1026

The following table shows the estimated total eligible population for tirzepatide for obesity, from 2025/26 to 2028/29:

Year

Population

Current year (2025/26)

3,600,000

Year 1 (2026/27)

3,640,000

Year 2 (2027/28)

3,670,000

Year 3 (2028/29)

3,700,000

The figures are based on the population estimated to have an initial body mass index (BMI) of at least 35, and with at least one weight-related comorbidity. They include the impact of the predicted population growth, but they do not include potential increases in obesity prevalence, or include the 2.5 BMI unit reduction that is recommended for people from certain ethnic minority backgrounds.

From 23 June, tirzepatide has started to become available in primary care, meaning it can be prescribed by general practitioners, or other competent prescribers. NHS England’s phased rollout within primary care will prioritise those with the greatest clinical need. The NHS is undertaking a phased roll out, as agreed with NICE. This is based on prioritisation led by clinical need. Patient eligibility will increase in stages, up to approximately 220,000 patients after the first three years, as outlined in NHS England's Interim Commissioning Guidance, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/interim-commissioning-guidance-implementation-of-the-nice-technology-appraisal-ta1026-and-the-nice-funding-variation-for-tirzepatide-mounjaro-for-the-management-of-obesity/

The total eligible population should have access within the maximum period of 12 years but, as part of the rollout plans, the NHS will look at different service models, including digital and community options. New approaches might enable access to be expanded more quickly. Progress will be reviewed in three years. In addition, the 10-Year Health Plan sets out our ambition to build on these plans by testing innovative models of delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients. On 12 August we announced an £85 million competition to fund the design and delivery of new community and primary care weight management pathways to support access to interventions such as weight loss medications. We expect tens of thousands of patients to directly benefit from increased access to interventions, such as GLP-1s. This will generate new evidence to inform the future commissioning and rollout of tirzepatide.

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