‘Weight loss drugs have the potential to improve lives but should not be seen as a silver bullet’ says College Chair

In responding to NICE guidelines on tirzepatide, Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said the following:

"Weight loss drugs, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, have been shown to be beneficial for some patients who meet certain criteria – and there's certainly a lot of potential to improve the lives of many patients, as we know many people have health conditions linked to their weight but really struggle to lose it.

“However weight loss drugs should not be seen as a silver bullet for weight loss - they do not come without risk, and there is no one-size fits all approach to tackling obesity. It is important that as much – or more – emphasis is placed on prevention, and stopping people becoming overweight in the first place, than on medical interventions.

“In a similar vein, expanding the number of patients eligible for weight loss jabs, should not be seen as an alternative to properly resourcing other services designed to help patients lose weight, such as those that support patients to make lifestyle changes and weight loss clinics through to bariatric surgery. Different patients will respond to different interventions, so these services need to work alongside each other. We also don’t know how long tirzepatide should be taken for, as it appears that when it is stopped, weight gain can recur.

“Expanding the roll-out of tirzepatide at the scale proposed will have significant practical and resource implications for the NHS and primary care. It’s right that the proposals prioritise those patients most in need of weight loss medication – but moving forward, as more patients become eligible, serious consideration will need to be given to the impact this will have on general practice. If 220,000 patients are going to receive this treatment, even over a period of three years, that could be up to an additional 1,000,000 GP appointments. It’s vital that general practice is resourced appropriately, and that GPs have the necessary training to safely take on any additional responsibility that comes their way.

“Ultimately, we know there is a lot of optimism around the role of weight loss drugs in tackling the obesity crisis facing the UK. But even with these changes, people will still rightly need to meet eligibility criteria before being prescribed this medication – and we urge people not to acquire and take weight loss medication without a prescription, and from dubious sources online. This can be incredibly dangerous.”

Further information

RCGP press office: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.