NHS weight-loss injection Mounjaro shows stark postcode-based prescribing gaps across England
Access to the NHS-funded weight-loss injection Mounjaro varies dramatically by postcode, with some regions prescribing five times more than others.
An analysis of NHS prescribing data reveals a pronounced postcode lottery for the weight-loss injection Mounjaro, the only such drug available through general practitioners since its rollout in June 2025. Residents of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire receive roughly five times more prescriptions per 100,000 people than those in Dorset or Derbyshire, despite a common national eligibility threshold of BMI 35 plus a weight-related condition.
Funding is allocated to individual integrated care boards, which prioritise patients differently, leading to regional gaps that persisted even after 34 of 42 ICBs began offering the treatment by January. While the North East and North Cumbria have the highest prescribing rates, several London boroughs rank among the lowest, even though obesity rates are high there. In contrast, the rival injection Wegovy is most prescribed in North East London, indicating that local service arrangements, not just disease prevalence, shape access. Experts note that Mounjaro can cut body weight by about 20 % and reduce risks of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, underscoring the public-health implications of the uneven rollout.
