Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timescale is for making Wegovy available on the NHS for people with heart disease.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based recommendations for the NHS on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NICE appraises all new medicines within their licensed indications, and the National Health Service in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE.

Wegovy is not licensed for heart disease and has therefore not been appraised by NICE for the condition. If Wegovy were to be licensed for heart disease in the future, it would then be considered for appraisal by NICE.

NICE has, however, published guidance which recommends Wegovy as an option for treating people who are overweight or obese and who have at least 1 weight-related comorbidity, which may include heart disease, and meet the other criteria specified in the guidance.