Wegovy at The Whitehall Clinic

At The Whitehall Clinic, our WeightWise programme is founded on patient-focussed care. Our dedicated WeightWise team have unmatched experience in managing weight management for our patients, and unlike online Clinic's or pharmacies, we do not disappear once your appointment ends.

We believe in building long-term therapeutic relationships with our patients to achieve their goals. Our WeightWise programme is focussed around you, providing both in-clinic and virtual consultations to fit around your busy lifestyle. You will have 7 day access to our WeightWise team and your dedicated Doctor.

Dr. Ash Khan is our lead Weight Management Consultant who has many years experience in treating obesity and is recognised in his field. Working closely with you, he will co-develop a personalised plan, provide ongoing monitoring and support to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

The WeightWise programme at The Whitehall Clinic can support the majority of obesity and weight problems can successfully be managed using state-of-the-art treatment and support, which does away with costly, drastic surgical procedures. We enable our weight loss patients to take control of their weight loss journey by providing medication and support. All our WeightWise patients have unlimited aftercare support and monitoring for the duration of their treatment.

Wegovy is a prescription medication used for weight management in adults who are obese or overweight.

A branded name for semaglutide, which is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, Wegovy medication is administered via a weekly injection and is intended to be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and an increase in physical activity.

Put simply, Wegovy works by activating GLP-1 receptors in the brain, which helps to both reduce hunger whilst also increasing the feeling of fullness. Additionally, the medication also slows down the emptying of the stomach, which can also help reduce a person's calorie intake.

Clinical studies have shown that Wegovy is an effective treatment option for those seeking to reduce their weight. For example, in one study, participants who were administered the weight loss treatment lost an average of 15% in body weight over the course of 68 weeks – compared to just 2.4% of those who were given a placebo.

Wegovy treatment is intended for use in adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m² or greater who have at least one weight-related medical condition, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol. It is also approved for use in adults with a BMI of 30 kg/m² or greater.

It is important to note that weight loss treatments such as Wegovy should not be used by people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).

The medication should also not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Delivered by The Whitehall Clinic weight management specialists endocrinologist Dr. Shafiq Khan and our GP Dr. Aamer Khan – both provide a patient-focussed and supportive approach that has helped hundreds of clients reduce their weight, leading to happier and healthier lives.

Administered via a subcutaneous injection in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm, Wegovy is the first and only prescription weight management medication that offers once-weekly dosing.

The Whitehall Clinic Leeds expert consultants start all of its patients on the private weight loss injection, Wegovy, at 0.25 mg and increase every four weeks until the maintenance dose of 2.4 mg is reached – this is done gradually to reduce the likelihood of gastrointestinal-related adverse reactions.

If a certain patient needs more time to adjust to the medication during the escalation, your specialist will recommend delaying the acceleration of doses or lowering the last dose until the symptoms have improved.

Whilst you are taking Wegovy treatment, The Whitehall Clinic weight management specialists will check in regularly with patients, assessing their progress and tolerability.

There are five different strengths available for Wegovy as you escalate your dose, with each pack you receive including one pen with four once-weekly doses.

Bear in mind that a new prescription is required for each dose strength but none for needles, with each pack having four needles included.

It is rather straightforward to use and can be done in FIVE steps:

1. Take the Wegovy pen out of the box, checking the name and colour-coded label to make sure it's the dose prescribed.
2. Then push the needle into the pen, screwing it in until its tight – always use a new needle for each injection.
3. Turn the dose selector to your prescribed, pre-set dose in the display window.
4. Choose your injection site – this can be your upper arms, abdomen or upper legs.
5. Inject the Wegovy by firmly pressing and holding down the dose button – the dose counter will return to 0, and you will hear a click. Continue holding down the dose button for SIX seconds, after which, slowly lift the pen away from the skin and prepare to dispose of the needle.

To store Wegovy before usage, make sure to keep the pen refrigerated (2° to 8°C).

During use, you can keep the pen for six weeks when stored at a temperature below 30°C or in a refrigerator (2°C to 8°C).

Do not freeze Wegovy or use it if it's already been frozen.

Wegovy should be injected once a week, any time of the day, with or without food. The Whitehall Clinic specialists recommend finding a routine, for example, taking Wegovy treatment on a Sunday night just before bed.

Like all medications, Wegovy can cause side effects. The most common side effects of Wegovy include:

• Nausea
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Stomach pain
• Headache
• Less common side effects include:
• Gallbladder problems
• Kidney problems
• Pancreatitis
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)
• Allergic reactions

Though the most common side effects are mild, there are several things you can do that will help you deal with them better, such as;

• Reducing your meal size
• Stop yourself from eating when you're full or not hungry
• Avoid spicy and high-fat foods
• Drink fewer alcoholic or carbonated drinks
• Drink more water and eat high-fibre foods

The studies show an average 15% weight loss. In the study group the average weight loss was 35lb/15kg with the average starting weight of 232lb/105kg.

The NHS does offer weight management clinics and is currently carrying out a two-year pilot to 'explore ways to make obesity drugs accessible to patients living with obesity outside of hospital settings'. Currently NHS weight management services do not prescribe medication to help with weight loss. The NHS anticipates that they will not be available until summer 2024. Patients Due to the long waits to access personalised weight management patients can book onto an NHS Digital Weight Management Programme here.

NHS GPs are unable to prescribe weight loss injections currently due to restrictions on prescribing. To get Wegovy on the NHS, eligible adults would need a referral to an NHS specialist weight management service. This referral would usually be made by a GP.

Semaglutide (Wegovy) launched in the UK on 4 September and is available on the NHS as an option for weight management in line with NICE guidance, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

Patients are eligible for treatment within a specialist weight management service if they have at least one weight-related comorbidity, such as hypertension or cardiovascular disease, and either a BMI of at least 35 or a BMI of 30 to 34.9, provided they meet the criteria for referral to specialist weight management services, including that conventional treatment has been unsuccessful.

There are a number of prescription pills available for weight loss including orlistat/xenical, maltrexone/buproprion (mysimba) and topiramate.