MOST Londoners seeking weight loss drugs are obtaining them privately, rather than through the NHS, risking serious harm, a new report from the London Assembly Health Committee has warned.
Two-Tier System
The Committee reported the emergence of a “two-tier” system for patients seeking treatment for obesity in the capital, amid the slow rollout of weight loss drugs, a growing private market, and rising illicit sales.
Around 500,000 Londoners could be eligible for the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, but only approximately 3,000 of them were receiving the drugs on the NHS as of November 2025.
Tens of thousands of people are estimated to be buying them privately, contributing to the two-tier system.
Emma Best, Chair of the London Assembly Health Committee, said: “Weight loss medicines have the potential to transform the lives of many Londoners living with obesity, but right now access is deeply unequal.
“While thousands of people are able to buy these treatments privately, only a tiny fraction are receiving them on the NHS.
“We heard powerful evidence from Londoners whose health and confidence have improved because of these medicines – but we also heard real concerns about people being pushed towards unsafe or counterfeit products when they cannot access proper treatment.”
Counterfeit Weight Loss Drugs
The report emphasised the influence of increasing demand for weight loss drugs. More than 18,000 illegal weight loss drugs were seized at UK borders between 2024 and mid-2025.
Londoners are increasingly encountering counterfeit or unregulated “skinny jabs”, sold through social media, beauty salons, gyms, and other informal settings, carrying significant health risks.
Best continued: “If these drugs are going to play a meaningful role in improving London’s health, the NHS rollout must move faster, patients must receive proper wraparound support, and regulators must crack down on the growing illegal market.”
The Committee is calling for stronger safeguards across both public and private provision. Other key recommendations include developing a London-wide clinical pathway and wraparound care to ensure patients receive consistent support alongside medication.
It also stressed the importance of patient voices in the design of services and treatment pathways. Finally, the Committee made the case for strengthening regulation and enforcement to tackle illegal and counterfeit weight loss drugs through, for example, the creation of a dedicated cross-agency taskforce.
Reference
London Assembly Health Committee. Weight loss medication in London. Available at: https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/london-assembly-work/london-assembly-publications/weight-loss-medicines-london. Last accessed: 16 March 2026.
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