NHS SWMS Pilot Programme - Dispense & Delivery Service

The commissioning of 'Community Pharmacy' to deliver prescribed items to specified, eligible patients who live in areas where the NHS Specialist Weight Management Service (SWMS) Pilot Programme is operating.

The overall aim of this pilot programme will be to support adults living with obesity (BMI threshold to be determined) with one or more weight-related comorbidities (Hypertension, Dyslipidaemia, Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, Cardiovascular disease), with weight loss, and continued weight maintenance through three new innovative models of service delivery, inclusive of the prescribing and delivery of approved pharmacotherapies.

NHS England (NHSE) wishes to notify potential providers of its intention to commence early market engagement, in advance of the procurement of a Dispense & Delivery service to support the NHS SWMS Pilot Programme.

On the 27th March 2023 the government approved £40m over 2 years to explore how approved weight loss drugs can be made safely available to more people by expanding specialist weight management services outside of hospital settings. The NHS SWMS Pilot Programme is an initiative led by NHSE under request and through funding from the Department of Health and Social Care.

The NHS SWMS Pilot Programme will consist of several pilots across a small number of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) within England that will test the delivery of three innovative models of delivery from General Practice, existing Tier 3 services and new digital provision for Specialist Weight Management Services and pharmacotherapy. The pilot will include the dispensing and delivery of specific obesity medication which are licenced by the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the subject of a relevant NICE Technology Appraisal.

The NHS SWMS Pilot Programme will operate independently of local authority commissioned services. The service is not intended to replace any SWMS locally commissioned by ICBs or local authorities, instead providing additional flexible capacity locally to meet the demands of the NHSE pilot approach to test novel service models of access.

As per the NHS Act Section 7, the dispensing service must be via a Community Pharmacy on the existing pharmaceutical list. In addition, the Community Pharmacy must be GPhC registered and have a national footprint for delivery to patients home address.

Additional information:

Potential providers are encouraged to attend the market engagement event to hear more detail on current plans, and to share their practical and commercial insight to further inform these strategies. This event is due to be scheduled for 11th January 2024.

Please note that attendance is limited to a maximum of two participants per organisation and registration with the national team is essential prior to the event to secure a place.

To register your interest, please email england.swms-prescribing-pilots@nhs.net.