March 2026: Weight loss injections poll

Healthwatch Brighton and Hove, Healthwatch East Sussex and Healthwatch West Sussex undertook a survey about people's experience of trying to access weight loss injections.  109 people responded to the survey.

Most respondents (74%) were ‘aware’ or ‘fully aware’ of the current eligibility criteria for accessing weight loss injections on the NHS (from 105 responses)  Of the 59 respondents who had accessed weight loss injections, 42% did so through private regulated providers, 11% accessed through the NHS and 3% accessed injections through unregulated providers (i.e. beauty salons or through social media).

 Those who receive weight loss injections through the NHS are also eligible for behavioural and lifestyle support alongside the injections. 55% (6 people) told us that they have not received this support. 

Of those that paid privately for weight loss injections (45 people), no one told us they thought weight loss injections were ‘affordable’, 21% felt they were ‘somewhat affordable’ and 33% felt they were ‘not affordable’. 

Of those that had accessed weight loss injections (59 respondents), 87% had experienced weight loss, 67% had experienced improvements to their overall health as a result of the injections and 56% told us their mental health had improved as a result of the injections and 46% experienced negative side effects such as diarrhoea, headaches or constipation.