Jobless overweight individuals to be given weight reduction jabs to get again to work | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Wes Streeting has hinted that new weight reduction injections might be provided to the jobless to assist their return to work.

The Health Secretary identified that “widening waistbands” are exerting strain on the NHS.

He advised that the newest weight reduction medicines, akin to Ozempic or Mounjaro, could be used to assist people discover employment and scale back healthcare prices.

In an opinion piece for the Telegraph newspaper, Mr Streeting made his proposal because the Government unveiled a £279 million funding from Lilly the main international pharmaceutical agency coinciding with the Prime Minister’s internet hosting of a world funding summit.

Mr Streeting penned: “Our widening waistbands are also placing significant burden on our health service, costing the NHS £11 billion a year even more than smoking. And it’s holding back our economy.”

He added: “Illness caused by obesity causes people to take an extra four sick days a year on average, while many others are forced out of work altogether.”

As reported by the Telegraph, the summit disclosed plans for real-world trials to evaluate the results of weight reduction injections on unemployment.

A collaborative examine between Health Innovation Manchester and Lilly will examine if prescribing these medication can lower joblessness and impression on NHS providers, with the trial set to happen in Greater Manchester.

The Health Secretary shared an optimistic outlook on the way forward for NHS remedies, saying: “The reforms this Government will put in place will open the NHS up to work much more closely with life sciences, to develop new, more effective treatments, and put NHS patients at the front of the queue.”

Regarding groundbreaking weight-maintenance medication, he added: “The long-term benefits of these drugs could be monumental in our approach to tackling obesity. For many people, these weight-loss jabs will be life-changing, help them get back to work, and ease the demands on our NHS.”

Despite this, Mr Streeting careworn the necessity for private accountability, insisting that whereas such steps are progressive, people should nonetheless prioritize “healthy living more seriously” because the “NHS can’t be expected to always pick up the tab for unhealthy lifestyles”.