Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his department has made of the phased rollout of tirzepatide weight management injections, prescribed by GPs to Cohort 1 of those with the highest clinical need since 2025, for initial trial under NHS England's Prevention Programme (Obesity).

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are legally required to fund National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)-recommended medicines within three months of final approval. NICE granted a phased rollout of tirzepatide for obesity to manage National Health Service resources and establish new care pathways. Tirzepatide became subject to a legal requirement for ICBs to fund its use in specialist weight management services from March 2025, and in primary care from 23 June 2025. Access is being prioritised for those with the highest clinical need.

Publicly available prescribing data shows that prescribing of tirzepatide has increased between April and December 2025, reflecting the early stages of phased implementation in primary care. As these medicines are licensed for multiple indications, national prescribing data cannot distinguish between use for obesity and diabetes.

NHS England continues to work with clinical experts and ICBs to monitor early implementation and support local pathway development. It will update its interim commissioning guidance as planned, and NICE will review progress after three years, including whether rollout can be accelerated if system capacity allows.