GP and Professionals

• Access Criteria Tier 3 and Tier 4
• Referral/Pathway Protocols

Weight Loss Injections

The Tier 3 service uses GLP_1 receptor agonists in line with NICE guidance and licensing criteria. This means they are only prescribed in selected patients alongside lifestyle modifications. Patients must first meet the Tier 3 access criteria as set by their individual ICBs and have completed all Tier 2 interventions prior to referral.

WeGovy® (Semaglutide 2.4mg) has now been launched in the UK with limited supply. This is currently restricted in the NHS to specialist weight management services. Any patients wishing to access treatment will need to be aware of the following:

• The service pathway will need to be finalised and agreed before we can consider any prescriptions
• Supply is still not completely guaranteed so consideration of prescribing will only be for the highest risk patients in the initial stages
• Anyone wishing to access medical treatment will also need to commit to engagement with the multidisciplinary team – we cannot simply provide prescriptions in isolation
• A lifestyle programme (6-12 weeks) will need to be completed before WeGovy prescription can be considered – this is to ensure that maximum benefit can be obtained

Please note that acceptance into the service does not guarantee that WeGovy will be prescribed and this will depend on a number of factors. We will do our best to accommodate preferences but the final decision for a prescription sits with the prescriber and the service.

Please note that there is likely to be a waiting list once available so patients should continue with lifestyle measures in the meantime.

The Tier 3 service will do its best to support patients keen on medical therapy with alternative options and we thank you for your understanding and patience. Patients are asked not to contact the service repeatedly in regards to weight loss injections and instead discuss this at your appointment once accepted into the service.

Saxenda® (Liraglutide 3.0mg)

GLP-1 receptor agonists are currently in national shortage due to global manufacturing limitations and a significant increase in demand. This situation is expected to continue until mid-2024. This situation is out of the control of the local service and we have no guarantees on availability or timescales. If we receive any formal communications in the future, we will distribute this accordingly. Until there is a reliable supply, we will not be starting new patients on this particular GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Ozempic® (Semaglutide 1.0mg)

Ozempic is not licensed for weight loss and is not used within our service for this purpose. It may be suggested for selected patients with suboptimal diabetes control (Type 2 Diabetes) and only with the support of their GP. For patients already on treatment, they should speak to their GP for alternative options. Orlistat is an alternative medical therapy which could be considered and can be prescribed by the patient’s GP if deemed suitable.

We thank you for your understanding and patience.

Contact Us During Office Hours:

By Telephone:

By Email:

Ldh-tr.obesityreferrals@nhs.net – for written patient referrals, new referral related information or funding approvals from GPs and Professionals. This email is monitored at least once daily by the admin team, where possible

Ldh-tr.obesityqueries@nhs.net –  for any patient related queries from GP’s or professionals. This email is monitored twice daily Monday and Friday only and once daily Tues, Wed and Thurs by the clinical team, where possible.

If sending any patient related information or identifying data, please only email from an NHS email address to maintain security and confidentiality.

IF YOU HAVE AN URGENT QUERY OR NEED IMMEDIATE ADVICE, PLEASE TELEPHONE US RATHER THAN SENDING AN EMAIL TO ENSURE AN APPROPRIATELY TIMED RESPONSE.