FOI 2026/1676

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information:

1. How many patients within the ICB have been referred to Specialist Weight Management Services (SWMS) since the ICB began offering GLP-1s for weight loss and weight management?
2. How many SWMS places are available within the ICB?
3. What is the average current wait time for patients who have been referred by their GP to a Specialist Weight Management Service?
4. How many patients are currently on the waiting list?
5. The current NHSE guidance for GLP-1 access on the NHS on BMI is 40 or higher with four or more related health conditions (co-morbidities).  In practice many ICBs have limited this to patients with higher BMIs and other requirements in the first months.  What was the starting BMI and co-morbidity requirement for this ICB?  Were there any other requirements? If it has changed, when did that happen?  What are the current requirements in terms of BMI and anything else?
6. How many patients within the ICB are currently being prescribed GLP-1 drugs on the NHS for weight loss or weight management (This can be within SWMS, GP surgeries or other NHS clinics)
7. What is the average wait time for those patients described in question 5?

1. NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) commissions 4 providers to deliver Tier 3 Specialist Weight Management Services (SWMS) – MoreLife, ABL, the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) and Manchester and Trafford Local Care Organisation (LCO)

MoreLife currently serves the following Localities

• Tameside
• Salford
• Bury

The NCA via a sub-contract with MoreLife deliver SWMS in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale locality.

Manchester and Trafford Local Care Organisation provide SWMS to Trafford locality – this is a lifestyle and behaviour change offer only.

ABL deliver SWMS as part of an integrated service model which incorporates tier two and tier 3 in:

• Oldham
• Stockport

The table below outlines the number of patients referred into the above services since NHS GM commenced delivery of tirzepatide in October 2025 – please note that the majority of these patients were referred for the behaviour change pathway only.

2.

3.

4.

5. NHS GM has implemented an interim commissioning position aligned with NHS England guidance.

Within Cohort 1, NHS GM applied additional local prioritisation based on BMI as follows:

• Cohort 1a: BMI ≥50 kg/m² and ≥4 comorbidities
• Cohort 1b: BMI ≥45 kg/m² and ≥4 comorbidities
• Cohort 1c: BMI ≥40 kg/m² and ≥4 comorbidities

NHS GM is currently operating at Cohort 1a. Decisions regarding progression to further cohorts are made locally.

For more information please see Tirzepatide for weight management in adults- interim commissioning statement.

6. Primary care
   Tirzepatide (a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist) is the only incretin-based medicine prescribed for weight management in primary care.

Prescribing data available via ePACT2 reflects total prescribing and does not differentiate between indications such as type 2 diabetes and weight management. Therefore, it is not possible to identify the number of patients receiving treatment for weight management only in primary care.

Specialist Weight Management Services (SWMS)
Liraglutide and semaglutide, and tirzepatide for more complex patients for weight management, are prescribed via Specialist Weight Management Services.

The total number of patients prescribed a GLP-1 for weight management in SWMS services is 286 (this covers the period October 2024 – February 2026)

7. For patients accessing treatment in primary care, there is no standard waiting time, as eligible patients are identified and invited for assessment in line with commissioning criteria.

Information on waiting times for Specialist Weight Management Services is provided in response to Question 3.