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‘I feel blessed to get Wegovy weight-loss jab’ - but can the NHS afford it for all?

BBC
Summary
Nutrition label

73% Informative

Ray , 62 , became one of the first patients to receive the weight-loss jab Wegovy on the NHS last year .

He has lost 14kg ( just over two stone) in five months and says he feels 'blessed' to be given the drug.

But the NHS spending watchdog NICE has ruled that each patient can only receive the drug for two years .

Only a tiny proportion of eligible 3.4 million patients in England are getting access to the drugs.

Mounjaro has been dubbed the "King Kong " of weight-loss jabs.

In a key trial, patients lost an average of 21% of bodyweight over eight months .

Unlike Wegovy, no restriction has been put on how long NHS patients can stay on the drug.

But the NHS is going to roll out the drug over 12 years because of concerns it could overwhelm services.

For now, though, the health service doesn't have the resources to treat all those eligible. It means - for years to come - only a minority like Ray will get access on the NHS . The rest will have to pay - or go without..

VR Score

65

Informative language

58

Neutral language

53

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

35

Offensive language

possibly offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

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