Obesity is now one of the biggest drivers of ill health in the UK, placing an immense strain on our health system, benefit system and wider economy.
Obesity is already more prevalent in people of higher socioeconomic need; a slow rollout of these medications on the NHS will perpetuate access based on the ability to pay rather than need, and will only widen those health inequalities.
New report published by the Tony Blair Institute argues that if we are to effectively tackle rising obesity rates, we need to seriously rethink access to anti-obesity medications (AOMs) and adopt a more preventative approach to healthcare.
TBI is calling for faster, broader approach to the rollout of AOMs, which sees the eligibility criteria drastically lowered, in order to drive both health and wealth in the economy and reduce health inequalities.
The NHS’s current approach to the rollout of anti-obesity medications (AOMs) is unlikely to slow, let alone reverse rising obesity rates over the next 12 years, according to a new paper from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI).
TBI say the current proposed care model – where a GP referral is required – is “wildly resource intensive and hugely expensive”1 and inhibits the potential for a broader roll out of AOMs.
‘Faster, Broader Access to Anti-Obesity Medications Can Drive Health and Wealth in the UK’ argues that as obesity is one of the biggest drivers of ill health – the Department for Work and Pensions identified it as a risk factor for all six of the conditions most associated with worklessness – it shouldn’t be viewed purely as a health issue, but also an economic one.
Government have already expressed a desire to deliver a ‘prevention first’ approach to healthcare and are currently exploring the option of making AOMs available over-the-counter. We welcome the signs the government is rethinking its position around this issue and accelerating the rollout of the drugs. We hope this paper adds support to this rethink on how to go further and faster in these ambitions.
In the paper, TBI’s economic modelling shows significant health and economic benefits could be gained by lowering the eligibility criteria to adults with a BMI of 27 and over with no major contraindications over the next two years. This would mean rolling out AOMs to an estimated 14.7 million people and is expected to deliver cost-benefit neutrality by 2035 and net gains year on year afterwards, with cumulative fiscal benefits estimated at £52 billion by 2050. Comparatively, on the NHS current rollout plan, cost-benefit neutrality is expected to be achieved by 2053.
Obesity also needs to be tackled if we are to address widening health inequalities across the UK – the slow pace of the current NHS rollout results in access based on ability to pay, rather than need.
To deliver this faster rollout, government should establish TBI’s previously proposed nationwide preventative health programme – Protect Britain – with AOMs the first intervention rolled out. Key recommendations to support the rollout include:
Making weight-management services available to citizens through the NHS App.
Commissioning the private sector to deliver these drugs, predominantly through approved, online, digital-first providers.
Means-testing access to AOMs so that only patients who are eligible for free prescriptions can access them at no cost through Protect Britain.
Leading negotiations with pharmaceutical companies to secure better terms for purchasing drugs at scale.
Establishing an accredited framework of providers to deliver ‘direct to consumer’ services for weight loss.
Establishing the UK as a world leader in Real World Evidence generation for AOMs – to monitor side effects and enable research development for potential benefits in treating other conditions, such as cancer treatment and addiction.
Dr Charlotte Refsum, Director of Health Policy at TBI said:
“If the government is looking to improve health and drive economic growth, tackling obesity – as part of a wider prevention agenda – must be a key priority.
“Anti-Obesity Medications are effective, well tolerated by those taking them and highly scalable. The government must follow its instincts and be bolder - providing faster, broader access in a more convenient way that meets them where they are – online, at home and in the high street.
“The cost of treating obesity may be high but the cost of not treating it is higher.”