Pulse figures on GP workload of weight-loss jabs raised in Parliament
MPs heard evidence collected by Pulse that weight-loss jabs are significantly adding to GP workload in a hearing of the Health and Social Care Committee on food and weight management.
A Pulse survey in September which found around one in 25 GP consultations now relate to Mounjaro was highlighted by witnesses advising MPs on how weight-loss jabs should be provided through the NHS.
A survey carried out by Pulse and our sister title Nursing in Practice asked more than 1,200 GPs and practice nurses about patient requests for tirzepatide, finding that on average one in 25 consultations (4%) now involve some discussion about the GLP-1 receptor agonist, either as the main issue or as a ‘while I’m here’ question.
And one in 10 respondents (9% of GPs and 10% of practice nurses) reported that patients ask about Mounjaro in as many as one in 10 consultations.
The committee this week heard about plans for NHS weight-loss services to move to a two-tier service with far more care provided in the community through neighbourhood hubs.
Dr Kath McCullogh, special advisor on obesity at the Royal College of Physicians said: ‘We need to work a lot better between primary care, community and secondary care providers as per the 10 Year Health plan,’ she told the committee.
She was joined by Dr Munro Stewart, vice chair (policy) at the Royal College of GPs who told MPs that patients trust their GP but that general practice was a service ‘already beyond capacity’.
‘We’re already seeing quite an increase in workload from these weight-loss medications so one in 25 consultations is about or mentions Mounjaro and the funding package which will be for the BMA to negotiate doesn’t cover the fact we already have a big increase in our workload.’
MPs were taken aback by the statistic which Dr Stewart explained had come from a Pulse survey.
‘There is demand for these drugs, there are people seeking the drugs privately. Most days I will have a letter from a private prescriber saying we’ve given this drug to your patient and then we need to check the records and add it to the records so there is a workload implication there,’ he said.
Dr Stewart was also asked whether the workload was because obesity was not previously seen as a medical problem and now more are coming forward.
‘We are seeing more of that, that’s fair to say,’ Dr Stewart added.
He went on to explain that while he did see patients who had had their lives transformed from taking weight-loss jabs, there were ‘significant workload implications’ related to people coming to the GP due to side effects or interaction with a medication they were already on.
‘The biggest concern is the inequality. The new QOF targets and incentives don’t change our criteria for what we can prescribe and when we can refer but often patients think we are the barriers to that so that does have a workload implication.’
He stressed that GPs want to treat and help patients with obesity but he added there was a danger of overmedicalisation.
‘If we try to completely medicalise this, this could be at extremely high cost to NHS workload and we have to put it in the context that prevention is better than the cure and the biggest impact the government can have is changing the structural and economic drivers that lead to obesity.’
Dr Stewart pointed out the time that would be needed for weight management wraparound care to be provided well.
‘We would estimate half an hour for initial assessment if you’re providing these drugs, perhaps four 15-minute follow ups each month and then further follow ups after that. It takes time to do this well and to do this holistically and do it in a way that works with patients.’
Dr McCullogh noted that proposals would need to be supported by a robust workforce plan which had not yet been done.
Both called on the Government to do much more on prevention as part of plans to tackle obesity.
The 2026/27 GP contract, the details of which were unveiled this week, will see weight-loss drug prescribing added to QOF.
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