News

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for weight management - Updated 24.02.26

On 23rd June 2025, it was announced that people living with obesity will be able to begin accessing tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) for weight loss purposes in primary care (GP) settings. However, the national roll out does not mean all people will be able to get a prescription for tirzepatide (Mounjaro®).

In mid and south Essex, tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) will be available through Tier 3 specialist weight management services to individuals facing the most significant health risks related to their weight.

Click here to read the eligibility criteria for the Tier 3 weight management service. Please note that acceptance onto the Tier 3 programme does not guarantee access to weight loss medications. Medication is offered via this service where available and appropriate for patient’s clinical needs.

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) will not be accessible to everyone who wishes to use it.  People with the highest health risks and who meet the clinical criteria will be prioritised.  Full qualifying clinical criteria is a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 40 or more plus four or more of the following diagnosed health conditions:

• type 2 diabetes
• high blood pressure
• heart disease
• obstructive sleep apnoea
• abnormal blood fats (dyslipidaemia)

Access to the drug must be accompanied by wraparound care which will include support for people to make dietary changes and to increase physical activity.  Tirzepatide will not be prescribed as a standalone treatment, and patients must fully participate with the wraparound support programme.

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro ®) might not be considered clinically suitable for everyone, and not everyone who meets the eligibility criteria will want to use it to support their weight loss. Therefore, there are a number of alternative weight management services available in mid and south Essex.

If you are currently paying for Mounjaro privately and would like to access it through the NHS, please be aware that you must meet the local NHS eligibility criteria at the time you are referred to the Tier 3 weight management service.

If you are currently paying for Mounjaro privately for weight loss and now wish to stop or taper off the drug, please speak with your private provider.

From 1st July 2025, you can book your routine X-ray online!

If your clinician referrers you for a routine X-ray, you should be contacted within two working days.
Depending on the type of examination, you may receive a text message, inviting you to make an appointment using hospital booking portal called Swiftqueue.

If you have not heard from the hospital after two working days, please contact the Hospital’s Radiology Appointments team directly - contact details can be found on the Mid and South Essex Hospitals’ website: www.mse.nhs.uk/radiology-services.

Will Swiftqueue be for all patients and appointments?

No. The Swiftqueue service is for routine X-ray appointments only. Any urgent or 2-week-wait referrals are not managed via Swiftqueue and will follow the current booking process. The Radiology team will vet all X-ray requests as they currently do. If it is not appropriate for Swiftqueue (such as a complex procedure, not a routine exam, require specialist equipment / assistance, query fractures or paediatrics), the referral will be added to the booking team queue who will contact the patient directly.

More information here. 

It is with regret that with effect from 1^st April 2025, Sidney House & The Laurels Surgery will no longer be able to prescribe, or dispense, any ADHD medications for our adult patients.

The Practice will not be able to assist with prescribing for new cases of adults with ADHD and any patients who are currently having their medication issued by the practice will only be able to continue this arrangement up to and including 31^st March 2025.

The Practice is not currently contracted adequately to provide these services within our NHS contract. For this work to be managed safely we believe that this work needs to transfer back to hospital specialists. Patients who have received a diagnosis from a private specialist will need to discuss any prescribing requirements with them directly.

The Practice has already given notice to our Commissioners, who will now ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to ensure you continue to receive these specific prescriptions.

Information about the arrangements that will be in place from 1^st April 2025 date onwards can be obtained by contacting our Integrated Care Board (ICB). The ICB can be reached by emailing mseicb-me.midalliancebusinesssupport@nhs.net or if you wish to raise a complaint about this issue, you can do so by contacting the ICB via mseicb.complaints@nhs.net.

More information can be found on ICB's website - ADHD prescribing - Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System

Dear Parents/carers we would like to make you aware of the NEW children and young person’s mental health service, who are located in our GP surgery.

Please contact the reception team to book an initial telephone triage session if your child or young person is presenting with symptoms of mild depression, low mood, and anxiety.

Please see the link for more information and if you want to book an appointment, please speak with the reception team.

Website: SET CAMHS - Primary Care Network | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust

For more information about this visit NHS Digital

As of 1st September 2021 your data will be shared with NHS Digital to help improve health, care and services

Patient data from GP medical records kept by GP practices in England is used every day to improve health, care and services through planning and research, helping to find better treatments and improve patient care. The NHS is introducing an improved way to share this information - called the General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection.

NHS Digital will collect, analyse, publish and share this patient data to improve health and care services for everyone. This includes:

• informing and developing health and social care policy
• planning and commissioning health and care services
• taking steps to protect public health (including managing and monitoring the coronavirus pandemic)
• in exceptional circumstances, providing you with individual care
• enabling healthcare and scientific research

Any data that NHS Digital collects will only be used for health and care purposes. It is never shared with marketing or insurance companies.

READ MORE HERE 

There are two ways in which a patient could opt out of sharing their personal information:

•  A type 1 opt out prevents information being shared outside a GP practice for purposes other than direct care.
•  The National Data Opt Out (formally Type 2 opt out) prevents information being shared outside NHS Digital for purposes beyond the individual's direct care.

Type 1

NHS Digital will not collect any patient data for patients who have already registered a Type 1 Opt-out in line with current policy. If this changes patients who have registered a Type 1 Opt-out will be informed.

If you do not want your patient data shared with NHS Digital, you can register a Type 1 Opt-out with us. You can register a Type 1 Opt-out at any time. You can also change your mind at any time and withdraw a Type 1 Opt-out.

If you wish to register a Type 1 Opt-out with your GP practice before data sharing starts with NHS Digital, this should be done by returning this form to us before 23 June 2021 to allow time for processing it. If you have previously registered a Type 1 Opt-out and you would like to withdraw this, you can also use the form to do this. You can send the form by post or email to us at sidney.laurels@nhs.net.

If you register a Type 1 Opt-out after your patient data has already been shared with NHS Digital, no more of your data will be shared with NHS Digital. NHS Digital will however still hold the patient data which was shared with us before you registered the Type 1 Opt-out.

National Data Opt Out (formally Type 2 opt out)

If you do not want NHS Digital to share your confidential patient data with anyone else for purposes beyond your own care, then you can also register a National Data Opt-out (also known as Type 2 Opt out). 

As of the week commencing 7th September 2020, the way that antenatal care is delivered will be changing. Ladies living in Boreham, Hatfield Peverel and surrounding areas will be caseloaded by the Sunflower Team Community Midwives.

Please contact the Community Midwives Office on 01245 513040 to arrange your antenatal appointments, which will be held in central Chelmsford.

Ladies living in Maldon, Witham, Wickham Bishops and surrounding areas may prefer to arrange their care with St Peter's Maternity Unit in Maldon, who can be contacted on 01621 725305 or 01621 725306.

If at any time you have questions regarding your pregnancy you can contact the Chelmsford Community Midwives office on 01245 513040. 

Newly pregnant ladies should please self- refer via https://www.meht.nhs.uk/services/maternity-services/

Urgent inquiries should be made to the Maternity Unit at Broomfield Hospital:
Day Assessment Unit 01245 513355 or Labour Ward 01245 513056/513057 (24 hr telephone line).

https://www.sidneyhouseandthelaurels.nhs.uk/edit/gdpr---privacy-statement