| Reference | FOI 2025/1535 |
|---|---|
| Description | Bury weight loss injections |
| Date Requested | 23/12/2025 |
| Date Replied | 16/01/2026 |
| Category | Medicines Optimisation |
Weight Loss Injections
I’d like to know the dates that these will available in the different Bury areas, how the decisions about their availability is made and when they’ll be available at my GP’s surgery.
Thank you for your request.
Medicines commonly referred to as “weight-loss injections” include a group of injectable medicines used within the NHS for specific clinical indications. These include GLP-1 receptor agonists (such as semaglutide and liraglutide) and dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists (such as tirzepatide). Access to these medicines is determined by national clinical guidance and local commissioning arrangements, and depends on the indication for which the medicine is prescribed, rather than age, body mass index (BMI) alone, or individual GP practice.
1. Indications for prescribing injectable incretin-based therapies
These medicines may be prescribed within the NHS for different clinical indications, each with its own eligibility criteria:
a) Type 2 diabetes
GLP-1 receptor agonists and dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists may be prescribed for the management of Type 2 diabetes, in line with national guidance (NICE NG28). Prescribing under this pathway depends on factors such as glycaemic control, previous treatments, co-morbidities, and clinical judgement.
Although weight loss may occur as a secondary effect, this pathway is commissioned for diabetes management rather than weight management.
b) Weight management (obesity)
These medicines may also be prescribed specifically for weight management, but this is subject to local NHS commissioning arrangements and national rollout plans.
In Greater Manchester, prescribing for weight management is governed by a commissioning statement approved through the Greater Manchester Medicines Management Group (GMMMG). This commissioning statement sets out:
Under the current Greater Manchester commissioning position, not all patients with obesity are eligible for prescribing of these medicines for weight management.
For further information please see:
Decisions regarding availability are made through:
GP practices in Greater Manchester are required to follow these arrangements and do not make independent decisions about availability.
You have asked why another individual registered at a different GP practice may have been prescribed these medicines. Prescribing decisions are based on individual clinical circumstances and eligibility, including diagnosis, co-morbidities, previous treatments, and the commissioned pathway under which prescribing occurs. GP practices apply the same commissioning arrangements, and any differences in prescribing reflect patient-level clinical factors, rather than differences between GP practices.
For reasons of confidentiality, the NHS cannot comment on another person’s clinical circumstances or treatment.
There are no separate availability dates for individual GP practices in Bury. Access is determined at Greater Manchester level through agreed commissioning arrangements and applies consistently across localities.
