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A parliamentary committee has pressed NHS England and government for action on unmet need for weight-loss services.
Just 1% of eligible patients are accessing weight loss services on the NHS, the Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) told NHS England and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) representatives on 3 June 2026.
In response, Aidan Fowler, national director of patient safety and deputy national medical director at NHS England, said rolling out services to all eligible patients would cost £15bn, plus 20% of GP capacity, adding: “We can’t do it overnight.”
Clare Hambling, national clinical director for diabetes and obesity at NHS England, said: “Although NICE has determined that these therapies are cost-effective on an individual patient basis, unfortunately, the number of people that are eligible is such that it does create affordability challenges for the NHS.”
But Sharon Hodgson, parliamentary under-secretary of state for public health and prevention, said the cost to society of not acting on obesity would be more than £100bn.
Hodgson acknowledged that a “two-tier” system exists, enabling some patients to access weight management services if they can pay privately. “We’re trying to reverse that,” she added, but said: “We need to go further and faster.”
The committee asked what consideration has been given to nationally commission pharmacies to support the roll-out of NHS weight management services.
Hodgson said this “is being looked at”, while Hambling said a pathway for non-GP provision of weight-loss services, including through pharmacies, was being explored by the Office of Life Sciences, but could not give any timescales.
The Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme — funded by government and weight-loss drug manufacturer Eli Lilly to test methods of offering weight management services across the UK — is expected to include some community pharmacies. In addition, some pharmacies have explored using pharmacist prescribing for weight management as part of the NHS England pathfinder programme.
However, Community Pharmacy England (CPE) confirmed to The Pharmaceutical Journal on 3 June that weight management services did not form part of the 2026/2027 contract discussions.
When challenged on why pharmacies were not being commissioned to deliver weight-loss services at scale, Fowler said the NHS needed to be “cautious” about the roll-out of weight-loss drugs as GLP1s may not be right for everyone, and long-term use may impact other health issues, such as bone density and frailty.
Responding to the HSCC committee session, Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association, told The Pharmaceutical Journal: “There is clear patient demand for weight-loss services and community pharmacies are well placed to help meet this.
“The most effective way to meet this demand would be through the national commissioning of NHS weight-management services from community pharmacies. This would ensure consistent access across the country and avoid a postcode lottery for patients.
“Any future NHS offer should be available both in-person and online, giving patients genuine choice in how they access care.
“With appropriate funding, community pharmacies are ready to take on this role and help expand access to effective weight management support.”
Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said: “Community pharmacies are ideally placed to support NHS weight-management services, and we would like to see a nationally commissioned pharmacy service, rather than a patchwork of local schemes.
“Weight loss is a journey, not just a prescription. Patients need ongoing support, lifestyle advice and regular clinical oversight, all of which community pharmacies are well placed to provide in a safe and accessible setting.
“We welcome the fact that NHS England is exploring this option and would encourage it to move quickly. Pharmacies are ready to help more patients access these services closer to home.”
Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association said: “We remain concerned that many people with high levels of clinical need are potentially missing out.
“High demand for weight-loss medication, coupled with a very slow and cautious NHS roll-out, has created the perfect storm for criminals who are running a growing black-market operation selling counterfeit weight-loss medication.
“As this committee rightly raised with ministers and health officials, pharmacies support over a million patients a month already with weight management on their high streets or online, and should be urgently bought into the NHS’s roll-out to help reach more patients in need of help.
“The NHS has set out a long and slow timetable to expand this treatment to more patients, which should be accelerated given the challenges obesity causes for patients and to our health system.”
