Primary Care GLP-1 Prescribing and Thrive Tribe

Primary Care Prescribing Criteria for Tirzepatide

Tirzepatide can now be prescribed in primary care if the following criteria are met:

BMI of 40 kg/m² or more

AND 4 or more of the listed weight-related health conditions:

Hypertension
Dyslipidaemia (abnormal blood fats)
Obstructive sleep apnoea
Cardiovascular disease (for example, heart disease)
Type 2 diabetes.

Please note this criteria may be reviewed from June 2026.

Healthier You: NHS Behavioural Support for Obesity Prescribing (BSOP) service is mandated for all patients prescribed Tirzepatide for weight loss in primary care.

This provides tailored behavioural, nutritional and psychological support, over 9 months, helping to build sustainable habits for long-term health and wellbeing.

Please refer to Thrive Tribe (a referral form is available) via healthier.you@nhs.net

Other Weight Management options

For patients that do not meet the criteria for bariatric surgery or weight loss injections please see Weight Management in the Community

Referrals for GLP1 injections for weight loss

From 20/12/24 new referrals to the Secondary weight loss service for GLP-1 agonists are being paused until further notice. Patients who have started their treatment will continue to receive their prescriptions.

Consultant to consultant referrals can be made for urgent conditions requiring time limited specialist weight management:

Active malignancy
Fertility
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Proven genetic causes of obesity
Surgery for life limiting conditions
Young adults over 16 years transitioning from complications of excess weight specialist clinics

References

Page Review Information

Review date 06 January 2026 (Partial update)

Next review date 30 June 2026

GP Speciality lead Dr Melanie Schick

Contributors Deputy programme of care lead, Long term conditions