Government announces partnership with pharmaceutical company Lilly, with cutting-edge help delivered through pharmacies and community access
An ambitious new initiative has been announced to help tens of thousands of NHS patients living with obesity.
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The aim is to make it easier for patients to access holistic weight management care wherever they live, via new routes such as digital platforms, local community-based access and pharmacies. Improving the health of patients living with obesity will, in turn, help ease pressure on GPs and the wider NHS. According to government figures, support for patients living with obesity currently costs the NHS some £11bn each year.
The UK government is contributing £50m to the project, with Lilly – one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies – adding up to £35m in grant funding. NHS organisations will be able to apply for a share of this money to support proposed initiatives. It’s thought that eligible patients could be able to access these innovative services by as soon as summer 2026.
At least £10m of the new funding will be earmarked for proposals to be undertaken in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Working with technology providers, care boards and other stakeholders across the NHS will be invited to submit bids to pilot innovative models of care for people living with obesity. These will need to be outside of existing specialist weight management services. A key component of the new programme will be to find new and accessible ways to deliver obesity care.
The programme will be delivered with Innovate UK.
Dr Claire Fuller, National Medical Director at NHS England, says: ‘Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges we face and costs the NHS billions of pounds every year, so this collaboration between government and industry to drive new ways of supporting people with obesity could make a huge difference.
‘The NHS is already developing and rolling out a range of ways to help people to manage their weight and live healthier lives, with patients benefiting from wraparound care from local weight management teams and via online support services, but we are excited by the potential of this collaboration to accelerate efforts to tackle obesity as the NHS moves from treatment to prevention as part of the 10-Year Health Plan.’
Professor Rachel Batterham, Senior Vice President for International Medical Affairs at Lilly, adds: ‘The launch of this programme marks an important milestone in advancing new models of care for obesity. At Lilly, we are deeply committed to addressing the complex health challenge of obesity, and we are pleased to collaborate with the UK government and NHS partners. Together, we aim to build an evidence base that could transform health outcomes for people living with obesity.’
Peter Kyle MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, says: ‘New ways of accessing support to tackle obesity, such as through pharmacies or with help from digital tools, could be transformational for people’s quality of life, and for society – allowing individuals to more easily manage their weight and freeing them from ill-health that holds them back in daily life – while reducing the strain on our NHS.
‘This programme also underlines life sciences’ critical value to our Plan for Change and our modern Industrial Strategy. By working hand-in-hand with one of the world’s largest life sciences companies, we are driving investment into the UK and tackling one of the greatest health challenges of our era.’
Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, adds: ‘Obesity is now one of the leading causes of ill health, costing the NHS billions. Yet, we now have the science, technology and knowledge to help tackle the obesity epidemic, if we seize this opportunity. As we shift our focus from treatment to prevention with our 10 Year Health Plan we are also determined to bring revolutionary modern care to everyone that needs it, not just those who can afford to pay.
‘This collaboration will help patients living with obesity in a matter of months – through testing better access to weight loss services and treatments. In the long-term it will inform how we can better tackle one of the biggest modern day health challenges and, through our Plan for Change, create an NHS that is fit for the future.’
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