Help me get WLI on the NHS

[PetPeevert]

I have reached a point in my weight loss journey where I just can't loose the extra pounds.

I have tried every single diet and healthy eating plan on the market and it just isn't enough.

I'm not looking for suggestions on exercise or diet, I can't afford to join a gym and I'm also time poor with having to work two jobs. All I need from this post is how I can get weight loss injections prescribed by my doctor. I can't afford to buy them privately.

My bmi is 41 and I'm on meds for high blood pressure. I am in South Lanarkshire and called my GP asking if I would qualify for a prescription. I was told to contact the weight loss clinic as they are the people that control and prescribe the injections.

They told me they are not currently accepting referrals and they don't know when they will be able to accept people. They wont even add me to the multi step program to assist me with my weight loss and advised that under no circumstances would they give me the injections. This is despite my bmi and blood pressure issues.

Please can someone tell me what I can do to get professional help that I wont have to pay for as I simply can't afford it. I already work every hour under the sun to try and stay afloat and I am still living pay check to pay check every month.

To clarify a few points, I do meet the criteria in Scotland. The criteria is different here to the rest of the UK.

The reason I can't get it is because the programme is over subscribed.

I was hoping that someone else in a similar situation in Scotland, mighthave been able to help me with getting on the programme.

Thank you for the study suggestions, I'll check them out.

Be persistent and ask for a referral on every appointment no matter what its for. I had a mild stroke and i asked my lovely consultant about it and he said he couldn't refer me but he would suggest it would be helpful to my gp. The gp sent a referral and the nurse at my practice said it was the first time she had anyone accepted on to the waiting list. For me its not about weight loss injections (i could buy them myself) its about the additional support.

ah fine. It'll still be over-subscribed. In the area of England where I am a GP:

(a) NHSE are providing funding for x number of people - local searches suggest that the actual number eligible now with the 4 comorbidities is 3-4 times x
(b) It is all a moot point as no service has been set up or looks close, so no-one is getting it.

This may not be helpful OP but if you can afford £15-£20 per week you can probably afford them privately (think how much you’ll be saving on food/drink). For example, I’m currently with Oushk and pay £160 for a pen - this lasts me 10 weeks as I buy a 5mg pen and only do half doses (so 2.5mg). You get 5 doses in a pen so it essentially lasts 10 weeks.

Just something to think about.

Maybe we are talking ar cross purposes, you need to do a 16 week intervention and 9 months following this, before meeting the criteria, if you meet the criteria then you’ve done this?

As already noted by myself and others on this thread, point A is irrelevant to this discussion. Surely as a GP you would know NHS Scotland is completely different to NHS England, which is what you’re basing your advice on.

GPs can’t start Mounjaro (in Wales) - it has to be specialist weight loss…….England, Wales and Scotland all commission differently however this is also the advice from BMA

https://www.bma.org.uk/media/lvhalrqw/bma-gpcw-focus-on-tirzepatide.pdf

I’m not talking about who can start prescribing. I’m talking about the criteria for being eligible. I believe they are different in Scotland compared to England.

I've not done it yet. This is what they are telling me is oversubscribed and not taking bookings.

If I could get on the programme i could eventually get the jabs.

They are different in Scotland to the rest of the UK. I quality for WLI without needing to complete the WL program. If you're bmi is over 40 and you have one of the related health issues, I.e high blood pressure, T2 diabetes etc, you qualify for the jabs without the need to complete the programme.

They just don't have space for new patients to join

The point is that anywhere in the UK if you meet the criteria but there isn't an adequately resourced service, you don't get them.

Not what you're asking but my local authority area will refer people for paid gym membership for a period of time for various health conditions, after which it's at a discounted price. Would you entertain this if it were to cost you nothing? It would be worth asking if the GP will do this or similar

Yes, of course, but it’s about a year after getting on the program op. And the program isn’t open, there will also be a shit ton of people in worse condition sadly than you are, it won’t be they open it and everyone is accepted. There will be people with 50 bmi or more, people with 4 health conditions. The list will be long.

so you’re probably looking at at least a couple of years away to get it on the nhs. The uk has the same issues across the board, just Scotland and England control who gets it differently, Scotland says a program and won’t accept anyone, England says higher initial prescribing criteria, and so won’t accept, both to have the same effect, limit who can get due to cost. It’s a shit show.

is there no way at all you could stretch to wegovy?

Well if there’s no space there’s no space… Try again in April as a pp said in case more spots open with the new financial year.

There isn’t going to be a way of getting on this on the NHS. The health boards don’t have a budget for WLI. You will need to self-fund.