Research by Sky News shows that thousands of people with severe obesity are being denied access to effective treatment as the NHS rollout of the Wegovy weight loss vaccine continues much slower than planned.
Freedom of information requests show that by the end of April, the drug had been prescribed to just 800 people in hospital weight-loss programs – despite Department of Health estimates that 13,500 people should have started treatment by then.
Sky News spoke to several patients who were refused the injection NHS.
One was told there was no prospect of treatment despite having to lose five stone (32kg) before surgeons were ready for a double knee transplant.
Dr Robert Andrews of the University of Exeter, who led clinical trials of new obesity drugs, said access to them was a “postcode lottery”.
He said: “As a doctor, you get into this profession to try to help people.
“However, we are unable to provide treatment to everyone who could benefit from it. And that's really difficult.
“There is money for other diseases, but not for this disease. And this really is a form of prejudice.
“Seeing this in the NHS is soul-destroying.”
The NHS told Ken Pollock via text that they could not offer him Wegova
According to guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), specialist weight loss clinics in England and Wales should have started prescribing Wegova in December last year.
The NHS cost-effectiveness body said people with a body mass index (BMI) over 35 and at least one related condition, such as high blood pressure, were eligible for the treatment.
However, Sky News asked Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), which commission local NHS services, whether they had made the drug available in tertiary weight loss clinics in local hospitals.
By the end of April, only 14 of 42 ICBs had done so and had imposed additional rules limiting access – such as only offering the drug to patients in life-threatening situations, including those who need to lose weight before rak surgery or organ transplants.
Dr Robert Andrews from the University of Exeter said access to Wegova was a 'postcode lottery'
In total, by then, just 838 patients in England had been treated – just over 6% of the 13,500 that NICE expected to see on Wegovy.
Ken Pollock, who weighs 25 stone and is in severe pain from osteoarthritis, was refused drug treatment on the NHS.
He was told he would have to lose five stone before surgeons could begin a double knee replacement that would enable him to exercise. He now has difficulty even climbing stairs.
However, the hospital's weight loss clinic informed him via text message that the wait for an appointment would be two years and that “medications could not be offered.”
“It's very shocking,” he said.
“I was considering retiring. But I thought, 'No, I've been paying the NHS all my life.' So I'm stuck in a sort of loop and I don't know what to do next.”
Dr. Robert Andrews (left) conducted clinical trials of Wegovy
Studies show that people lose an average of 15% of their body weight within a few months of starting treatment with Wegovy. The drug mimics a natural hormone, making people feel fuller faster and for longer.
Dr Jonathan Hazlehurst, an NHS obesity specialist in Birmingham, speaking on his own behalf, said Sky News' findings confirmed research he and others had carried out into poor access to treatment.
“I am concerned that so many people could benefit, but increasingly there are no systems in place to provide this care,” he said.
“People who can pay for treatment have access to it, but many others go without treatment or are on long waiting lists for overcrowded services that are insufficient to meet patients' needs.
Sally Hardwicke pays £160 a month for private Wegovy purchases
“The availability of effective obesity drugs should be seen as an opportunity to improve health, but realizing this potential will require significant financial investment.”
Obesity costs the NHS £6 billion a year and is linked to 200 different diseases.
Half of all obese people with three related problems, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, will die within 10 years.
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Wegova's supply issues due to stockpiling at private clinics
Sally Hardwicke decided to buy Wegovy privately after she was refused treatment on the NHS, despite meeting NICE criteria.
She has to go around pharmacies to find supplies, which costs her around £160 a month. But she says the drug is worth the price.
“I never felt full. I could eat a very large meal and still want more,” she said.
“Now my food is on much smaller plates, and nine times out of ten I don't even finish what I have.”
Sally said she tried countless diets to lose weight, but the effect was short-lived.
“Even my boss said, 'Why do you want to put this drug in your body?' Because I'm desperate,” she said.
An NHS England spokesman said: “While specialist weight management services – which are required to prescribe this particular treatment – are commissioned based on local priorities, the NHS provides a wide range of support that helps hundreds of thousands of people lose weight and live healthier lives.
“We are committed to working with government, industry and experts to ensure the safe, effective and affordable implementation of new treatments.”
