Specialist weight management services in west Essex

How to access Tier 3 specialist weight management services, eligibility and exclusion criteria, and guidance on tirzepatide.

Weight management support in Essex is available to help you improve your health and wellbeing. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and other serious conditions.

Tier 3 services provide specialist clinical support for people with more complex needs.

For west Essex, MoreLife delivers Tier 3 specialist weight management services.

You can access the service by self-referring, getting a referral from an acute or community hospital or through your GP.

These specialist services can also help prepare and refer you for possible bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery), if that is the most appropriate option for you. 

Eligibility criteria

  • Residents aged 17+ with severe obesity for at least four years AND meet at least one of the following criteria:
    • Have a BMI ≥40.0
    • Have a BMI ≥35.0 and metabolic syndrome, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnoea, functional disability, infertility and depression. Patients may need specialist advice to manage their overall health
    • Have a BMI ≥35.0 and type 2 diabetes
    • Have a BMI ≥30.0 and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the last 10 years

Exclusion criteria

  • Aged 16 years or under 
  • Pregnant
  • Active eating disorders including bulimia
  • Have undergone bariatric surgery in the past 12 months 
  • Have a BMI ≤40.0
  • Have a BMI ≤35.0 and at least one weight-related health condition
  • Have a BMI ≤30.0 and recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
  • There may be other exclusions

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) for weight management

It was announced on 23 June 2025 that people living with obesity will begin accessing tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) for weight loss purposes in primary care settings.

Weight management services are locally commissioned and funded at an Integrated Care Board (ICB) level, which means services will differ across each ICB. In west Essex a local NHS service is providing access to tirzepatide (Mounjaro®).

Patients who currently pay for Mounjaro outside of the NHS (privately) and would like to request an NHS prescription will need to meet the eligibility criteria at the time of their NHS referral.

The local NHS service

In west Essex, there was an announcement on 1 October 2025. GPs or other healthcare professionals can refer eligible patients into a new local NHS service. This means that patients who are referred into the service will be seen by a GP or other healthcare professional from their local area. This may not be at their usual GP practice. The GP or healthcare professional will assess if referred patients meet the eligibility criteria for tirzepatide (Mounjaro®). Alongside this, patients will need to access a nine-month healthy lifestyle programme.

Access to this medication is prioritised for those facing the most significant health risks related to their weight: people living with obesity, in poor health with multiple obesity-related conditions.

Tirzepatide FAQs for west Essex residents

The full qualifying clinical criteria is a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 40 or more, plus four or more of the following diagnosed health conditions:

  • type 2 diabetes
  • high blood pressure
  • heart disease
  • obstructive sleep apnoea
  • abnormal blood fats (dyslipidaemia)

The BMI criteria is different for patients from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean ethnic backgrounds.

Drug access must be accompanied by wraparound care, which includes support for people to make dietary changes and to increase physical activity. Services will not prescribe tirzepatide as a standalone treatment.

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) might not be considered clinically suitable for everyone, and not everyone who meets the eligibility criteria will want to use it to support their weight loss. Therefore, there are alternative weight management services available in west Essex.

Patients can continue taking tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) if the NHS has prescribed it to manage their diabetes. If you have any questions, speak to a healthcare professional.

If patients are using tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) bought privately, they may be able to access the medication through an NHS prescription if they meet qualifying criteria. However, patients should not gain advantage over other patients waiting for NHS care and would join the end of any existing waiting list.

It is important to tell your GP if you are taking tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) if the NHS hasn’t prescribed it, as it may impact your health and other treatments you are having or may need.

There are currently no plans to make tirzepatide available on the NHS through pharmacies in west Essex.