Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2025 to Question 67789 on Diabetes: Health Services, if he will make it his policy to collect data on the cost of diabetic ketoacidosis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
A central mission of the Government is to build a health and care system that is fit for the future. Tackling preventable ill health, such as type 2 diabetes, is crucial. Shifting the focus from treatment to prevention is one of three shifts for the Government’s mission for a National Health Service that is fit for the future and is a cornerstone of supporting people to live healthier lives.
Preventing diabetes, like obesity, is a complex issue and requires multi-faceted action across both the public and private sector. Prevention involves collaboration across the public and private sectors to tackle underlying issues such obesity, poor diets, and lifestyle issues.
The Department is taking steps to prevent type 2 diabetes through programmes such as the NHS Health Check, England’s flagship cardiovascular disease prevention programme for those aged between 40 and 74 years old, which aims to identify people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and some cases of dementia, and to signpost them to behavioural support such as weight management and clinical treatment if needed.
Once identified, those at risk of developing type 2 diabetes can also be referred by their general practitioner into the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. The programme is highly effective, cutting the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37% for people completing the programme, compared to those who do not attend.
The annual costs of treating patients over 18 years old and children with diabetic ketoacidosis is not available, as this data is not routinely collected and/or analysed nationally. There are currently no plans to collect this data.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 67568 on Obesity: Drugs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that private online clinics prescribing weight loss drugs are compliant with (a) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (b) General Medical Council guidance.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The safest way to access medicines privately is to do so via a United Kingdom-registered prescriber and pharmacy, whether in-person or online. All UK prescribers, whether employed privately or by the National Health Service, are expected to take account of appropriate national guidance, and are regulated by UK regulators. Using UK-registered pharmacies also means that the medicines received will meet UK standards of safety and efficacy. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reminded prescribers to explain the possible side effects of these medicines, and the risks around falsified products.
Any UK prescriber operating in a private capacity must be a healthcare professional who is regulated by a professional regulator such as the General Medical Council (GMC) for doctors, or the General Pharmaceutical Council or Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, for pharmacists.
When prescribing, doctors are expected to follow the GMC’s Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices, which refers to guidance from the MHRA. The General Pharmaceutical Council has strengthened safeguards for online pharmacies, including the need for extra checks to verify eligibility for obesity medicines. Guidance for registered pharmacies providing pharmacy services at a distance, including on the internet, is available at the following link:
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care providers in England. Private online clinics that prescribe weight loss medicines need to register with the CQC for the regulated activity of Treatment of Disease, Disorder or Injury as set out by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
The CQC can take regulatory or enforcement action where they find fundamental standards have been breached.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce waiting times for patients eligible for NHS-prescribed weight loss medications.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The medicines liraglutide, under various brand names, semaglutide, brand name Wegovy, and tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, are already being made available for managing obesity for some patients attending National Health Service specialist weight management services, depending on factors like local pathways and clinical eligibility.
From 23 June, the newest obesity medicine, tirzepatide, started to become available in primary care, meaning it can be prescribed by general practitioners, or other competent prescribers. Approximately 220,000 people could receive tirzepatide over the first three years of NHS rollout. Access will be prioritised based on clinical need.
To support equitable access across the NHS in England and to help integrated care boards (ICBs) to fulfil their duty to make the medication tirzepatide available to eligible patients for treating obesity, NHS England has provided funding to ICBs, based on each area’s estimated population of people living with obesity. It has also provided guidance to ICBs and is continuing to work with them to implement the phased rollout of tirzepatide, as well as other weight loss medications where appropriate.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence will review progress at three years. Rollout will be sped up if possible, and the NHS is developing and testing new models of care to support this.
As we set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to expanding access to weight loss medications through the NHS to ensure that people are able to access them based on clinical need, rather than ability to pay. We will build on the current plans by establishing pioneering relationships with industry and local health systems to test further innovative models of delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients effectively and safely. Additionally, we will explore a range of innovative commercial models that aim to increase patient access, whilst ensuring improved health outcomes and value for money.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 ensure equitable access to weight loss drugs across NHS trusts.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The medicines liraglutide, under various brand names, semaglutide, brand name Wegovy, and tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, are already being made available for managing obesity for some patients attending National Health Service specialist weight management services, depending on factors like local pathways and clinical eligibility.
From 23 June, the newest obesity medicine, tirzepatide, started to become available in primary care, meaning it can be prescribed by general practitioners, or other competent prescribers. Approximately 220,000 people could receive tirzepatide over the first three years of NHS rollout. Access will be prioritised based on clinical need.
To support equitable access across the NHS in England and to help integrated care boards (ICBs) to fulfil their duty to make the medication tirzepatide available to eligible patients for treating obesity, NHS England has provided funding to ICBs, based on each area’s estimated population of people living with obesity. It has also provided guidance to ICBs and is continuing to work with them to implement the phased rollout of tirzepatide, as well as other weight loss medications where appropriate.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence will review progress at three years. Rollout will be sped up if possible, and the NHS is developing and testing new models of care to support this.
As we set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to expanding access to weight loss medications through the NHS to ensure that people are able to access them based on clinical need, rather than ability to pay. We will build on the current plans by establishing pioneering relationships with industry and local health systems to test further innovative models of delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients effectively and safely. Additionally, we will explore a range of innovative commercial models that aim to increase patient access, whilst ensuring improved health outcomes and value for money.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the (a) cost to the NHS of prescribing weight loss medications and (b) the projected cost savings from reduced obesity-related illness.
Answered by Darren Jones - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
The Chancellor regularly discusses a wide range of policy issues with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
For medicines to be provided by the NHS they must meet strict cost-effectiveness thresholds set by NICE. For tirzepatide, a weightloss jab, evidence submitted by NHS England to NICE last year suggested a potential cost of £19.4bn for the drug, the patient management and the associated care over the first five years from launch if made available to all eligible patients. The NHS is working with partners, including supplies of medicines for weight management, to develop and evaluate innovative delivery models which may support more efficient implementation
NICE recommended the NHS begin rolling out trizepatide, for people with a BMI of more than 35 and at least one weight-related illness. In total around 220,000 people are expected to benefit in the initial three year roll out period.
The obesity crisis currently costs the NHS an estimated £11.4 billion per year and has significant wider economic and social costs, so tackling this will help to drive long term economic growth.
That is why the 10 year health plan, published on 3rd July 2025, set out Government’s plans for decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our NHS and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.
The Plan sets out a commitment to support people living with obesity, doubling the number of patients able to access the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme and brokering pioneering relationships with the biggest pharmaceutical companies to expand access to weight loss services and treatments across the NHS.
The Plan also committed to fulfilling manifesto commitments to restrict junk food advertising and ban sale of high-caffeine drinks. Additionally it announced new proposals to reduce obesity including for large food businesses to report against standardised metrics on healthier food sales along with new targets to increase the healthiness of sales, and updating the Nutrient Profile Model to bring the current advertising and promotion restrictions up to date and make them more impactful.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS 10 Year Plan includes a budget for the (a) use and (b) procurement of GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended in a NICE appraisal, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, usually within three months of final guidance.
NICE has recommended the GLP-1 receptor agonists liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide as clinically and cost-effective treatment options on the NHS for obesity. Liraglutide, brand name Saxenda, and semaglutide, brand name Wegovy, can currently only be accessed on the NHS via specialist weight management services, which are primarily based in hospital settings. In June 2025, the NHS began making tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, available through primary care. Approximately 220,000 adults will be considered for Mounjaro in the first three years, with access prioritised by clinical need.
The 10‑Year Health Plan is backed by an extra £29 billion in investment to fund the reforms, service improvements, and new technology required to deliver an NHS fit for the future. Through its implementation we are committed to further exploring how we can build on the current plans for the roll out of medicine like GLP-1 receptor agonists by working with industry to trial innovative approaches to treating obesity, as part of a rounded package of care. Additionally, we will explore a range of innovative commercial models that aim to increase patient access, whilst ensuring improved health outcomes and value for money.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure GPs are prepared to coordinate medicines management and understand the side effects of receiving weight loss medication as a result of the roll-out of tirzepatide (Mounjaro) in primary care services.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
From 23 June, tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, started to become available in primary care, in line with the agreed plans for a phased rollout, meaning it can be prescribed in general practices.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produces evidence-based guidance for health and care practitioners on best practice. As well as official guidance on the management of overweight and obesity and the use of tirzepatide, NICE has developed a practical guide to support the use of medicines for managing overweight and obesity. This guide provides an outline of the steps needed to safely assess, prescribe, monitor, and stop medicines that can be prescribed in primary care for weight management.
As well as NICE guidance, general practitioners have access to a range of support from their integrated care boards, and NHS England has developed a suite of implementation materials, delivery guidance, and protocols, and has provided access to training resources to help prescribers and other healthcare professionals to understand key aspects such as side effect profiles, medication initiation requirements, and the essential behavioural support that must accompany prescribing under the NICE Technology Appraisal on tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity, code TA1026.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential to commission digital-first healthcare providers to support the tirzepatide (Mounjaro) roll-out in primary care services for (1) patients and (2) primary care providers.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
From 23 June, tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, started to become available in primary care, in line with the agreed plans for a phased rollout, meaning it can be prescribed in general practices.
NHS England has been working closely with local health systems, including integrated care boards, to design approaches for the safe and effective roll out of tirzepatide in primary care. This includes the use of digital providers, as NHS England recognises that digital first models can offer valuable tools to support patients and clinicians in the safe and effective delivery of care. Some patients have already been referred to receive diet, physical activity, and lifestyle support digitally through NHS England’s interim offer for behavioural support for obesity prescribing.
No full assessment has been made of the role of digital providers in supporting this roll out. To support equitable access and avoid risks of digital exclusion for those with less digital skills, a range of service delivery models are being made available, including face-to-face, remote, and digitally supported care.
There will be a robust evaluation of the initial phased rollout of tirzepatide in primary care, which will consider the use of digital providers. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will review progress at three years.
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. We will work closely with industry and local health systems to increase patient access. Full details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the £500 million allocated to the Health Data Research Service will be directed specifically towards addressing health inequalities in deprived communities.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 7 April 2025, the Prime Minister announced that the Government and the Wellcome Trust will invest up to £600 million to create a new Health Data Research Service, co-designed through engagement with the public and patients, data users, and stakeholder organisations. This service will bring new treatments and cures to patients by safely enabling the use of patient data to super-charge research, attracting investment and making the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to conduct ground-breaking medical research.
This groundbreaking initiative will deliver significant health benefits to the UK public and patients across the full spectrum of existing health research, including major public health challenges and diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, which we know disproportionately shorten the lives of people in more deprived communities. The service will be designed to support people to get access to clinical trials and outputs from research faster, and the DigiTrials service supports researchers to recruit people to their trials who represent our diverse population.
At the heart of the Health Data Research Service (HDRS) is a national network of Secure Data Environments, built on the existing NHS Research Secure Data Environment Network, which have been developed in lockstep with their local communities, and which cover the whole of England. The HDRS will bring services together to support fast and secure access to data for researchers, but there is no intention to move existing data assets which sit in various organisations across the nation and require expertise to process, gather, and use, and work will continue with communities to ensure that the service continues to develop with patient and public trust at its heart. We will also be closely working with the devolved administrations to ensure this is a UK wide service, and with the relevant charities to ensure that people from all backgrounds are represented.
We are committed to designing the service in close partnership with patients, professionals, and the public to deliver a trusted service, providing safe and secure access to health, social care, and public data, and to ensure that the research enables the improvement of local service provision and preventative health measures. Detailed design work for this will begin once we have a Chief Executive Officer in place.
NHS England and the Department are running a major national engagement programme on data with over 4,000 people across England. The initial findings and recommendations from the public are already informing our approach and will continue to shape the design and governance of the HDRS. This will support everyone, from medical researchers to health charities, to develop evidence-based solutions to major public health challenges.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards will be put in place to ensure that the health data of people living in deprived communities will be used for the improvement of local service provisions and preventative health measures.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 7 April 2025, the Prime Minister announced that the Government and the Wellcome Trust will invest up to £600 million to create a new Health Data Research Service, co-designed through engagement with the public and patients, data users, and stakeholder organisations. This service will bring new treatments and cures to patients by safely enabling the use of patient data to super-charge research, attracting investment and making the United Kingdom one of the best places in the world to conduct ground-breaking medical research.
This groundbreaking initiative will deliver significant health benefits to the UK public and patients across the full spectrum of existing health research, including major public health challenges and diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, which we know disproportionately shorten the lives of people in more deprived communities. The service will be designed to support people to get access to clinical trials and outputs from research faster, and the DigiTrials service supports researchers to recruit people to their trials who represent our diverse population.
At the heart of the Health Data Research Service (HDRS) is a national network of Secure Data Environments, built on the existing NHS Research Secure Data Environment Network, which have been developed in lockstep with their local communities, and which cover the whole of England. The HDRS will bring services together to support fast and secure access to data for researchers, but there is no intention to move existing data assets which sit in various organisations across the nation and require expertise to process, gather, and use, and work will continue with communities to ensure that the service continues to develop with patient and public trust at its heart. We will also be closely working with the devolved administrations to ensure this is a UK wide service, and with the relevant charities to ensure that people from all backgrounds are represented.
We are committed to designing the service in close partnership with patients, professionals, and the public to deliver a trusted service, providing safe and secure access to health, social care, and public data, and to ensure that the research enables the improvement of local service provision and preventative health measures. Detailed design work for this will begin once we have a Chief Executive Officer in place.
NHS England and the Department are running a major national engagement programme on data with over 4,000 people across England. The initial findings and recommendations from the public are already informing our approach and will continue to shape the design and governance of the HDRS. This will support everyone, from medical researchers to health charities, to develop evidence-based solutions to major public health challenges.