London weight loss drug access 'unequal' - report

Londoners seeking weight loss drugs are being pushed to unsafe or expensive alternatives due to the slow NHS rollout of obesity treatment, a report has found.

It estimates about 500,000 Londoners could be eligible for medicines, which include brands like Mounjaro, but that only 3,000 were receiving them on the NHS as of November 2025.

The London Assembly Health Committee, who published the report, said the situation had left some trapped in a "two-tier system", with people buying the drugs privately, which included counterfeit and unregulated treatments.

NHS England (NHSE) said it welcomed the report and was committed to addressing current inequalities in access.

NHSE began a rollout of the drugs to GP surgeries last year, with strict eligibility criteria and under NICE guidelines.

Clinical trials have shown patients using certain treatments could lose between 14 and 20 per cent of body weight and, if prescribed and used appropriately, that the drugs offer significant health benefits.

However, unregulated and unlicensed versions of weight loss drugs are being sold on illicit markets

During the months-long investigation, politicians heard that up to two million people may currently be using weight loss drugs in the UK, including tens of thousands of Londoners.

Emma Best, who chairs the committee, said access to the medicines is currently "deeply unequal".

"While thousands of people are able to buy these treatments privately, only a tiny fraction are receiving them on the NHS.

"We heard powerful evidence from Londoners whose health and confidence have improved because of these medicines – but we also heard real concerns about people being pushed towards unsafe or counterfeit products when they cannot access proper treatment."

The committee said patients were acquiring the medicines in beauty salons, gyms, and on social media, and in other cases, in pubs and fish and chip shops.

"If these drugs are going to play a meaningful role in improving London's health, the NHS rollout must move faster...and regulators must crack down on the growing illegal market, the report recommended.

An NHSE London spokesperson said: We will closely monitor prescribing data and referrals to behavioural support to ensure uptake is equitable, addresses current inequalities of access, and supports sustained behaviour change.

"We are committed to ensuring that every eligible Londoner, regardless of where they live or their financial means, can access these medicines safely and with the right support around them."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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