A civil servant who was left “crying on his knees” after being denied NHS weight loss jabs has remarkably lost nine stone and saved thousands of pounds by opting for private treatment. Grandfather-of-two Mark Spurr, 53, has seen his weight plummet from 30st to 21st and has shed eight inches from his waist since he began weekly Mounjaro injections eight months ago.
The security officer from Morley, West Yorkshire, had pleaded with his GP for the NHS treatment in June when he realised he could no longer fit into his required stab-proof vest for work at an immigration centre in Leeds and struggled with the walk from the car park. With a body-mass index score of 57, well off the chart, he was still deemed ineligible for the NHS criteria, which demand a BMI over 35 plus at least one weight-related illness for those with “the highest clinical needs”.
Determined to keep his job and improve his health, Mark took matters into his own hands and started purchasing the treatment privately through Cloud Pharmacy, with costs starting at £100 per month. Not only has he experienced significant weight loss, but Mark also claims he’s now £2,000 better off, having cut out the £400 monthly expenditure on snacks and takeaways, all thanks to the medication that fools the brain into feeling satiated.
“Mounjaro’s changed my life and it might have even saved my life,” Mark shared. “I couldn’t walk across the car park in June and last weekend, I hiked Whernside mountain in the Yorkshire Dales.
“When I went to the GP, I was basically on my hands and knees crying my eyes out and pleading with them to prescribe it to me, I was in so much pain.
“I might as well have been smashing my head against a brick wall as I was told I didn’t fit the criteria. But they recommended that I take it privately and now I feel fantastic.”
Mark, who maintained a slim figure during his childhood, started gaining weight after leaving school at 15 and taking up a job as a joiner for Leeds City Council. His weight issues escalated ten years ago following the death of his mother, Susan Spurr, who was in her 60s.
“Food was a coping mechanism,” Mark admitted. Despite joining a Slimming World group, his weight continued to fluctuate.
On an average day, he would indulge in a sausage, spam and egg sandwich, followed by a bacon roll, a pastry and a coffee for breakfast. Lunch comprised a sandwich, pasty, bun and cake, while dinner was typically takeaway fish and chips, interspersed with snacks of multipack crisps and chocolate.
Things reached a critical point last year when Mark could no longer fit into the stab-proof vest required for his job, sparking fears of job loss. “I felt depressed, tired all the time but unable to sleep, and full of anxiety, like I was struggling in an 85-year-old’s body,” he confessed.
“I was wearing shorts and T-shirts in winter because I was sweating by the time I’d walked from the car door to the office. A report by occupational health said I’d have to lose six stone to do my job safely and I took some time off.”
Mark expressed his gratitude towards his workplace for providing him with the chance to shed pounds. He recounted regular visits to his GP at Robin Lane Health and Wellbeing Centre in Pudsey, where he persistently sought help but to no avail.
He shared his frustration: “I asked if I qualified for a gastric band, but there was a two-year waiting list.”
He also mentioned an unsuccessful attempt to get treatment: “Then I did a blood test for Mounjaro, but I didn’t fit the criteria, even when the results showed I was in the lower end of type two diabetes.”
A holiday to Crete proved to be a turning point when mobility issues forced him to rely on taxis instead of walking. Returning home, he reached a decisive moment: “When I came home, I said to my dad, ‘that’s it, I don’t care if I can afford it or no, I’m doing it’, and I ordered my first pen.”
He started self-administering weekly injections of Mounjaro, starting with a 2.5mg dose that cost £100 per month. The results were immediate and surprising: “I was really shocked because it works and it worked virtually within four hours,” he remarked.
Mark noticed a significant change in his eating habits: “For somebody in my situation, we get food noise, where you’ll be eating breakfast and you’re already thinking about what’s for dinner, but taking Mounjaro, that food noise just disappeared.”
Within the first week of treatment, he lost 9lb and began replacing junk food with meal replacement shakes and high-protein meals such as chicken and rice and egg salad. Now, he’s consistently losing 2lb to 3lb each week, nearing his target weight of 16st, and has resumed mountain biking with his son Joshua, aged 28.
He’s also embracing more strolls with his 54-year-old partner and enjoying playful times at the park with his six-year-old granddaughter, Hailey. “So far, I’ve gone from a 6XL to a 3XL – now the goal is to be able to nip into Primark rather than travelling to specialist clothes shops for plus sizes,” he shared.
Mark has stepped up his prescription of Mounjaro to a higher dose costing £150 a month, noting that the price increases to £180 nearer the end of the treatment.
Reflecting on affordability, Mark mentioned: “It may not seem like a lot but as a civil servant on minimum wage for my level, I thought I couldn’t afford it.” However, his perspective shifted when his appetite decreased: “But once the effects kicked in and I was eating less, I realised I’m actually saving £250 per month.”
The doting grandfather, who also has a one-year-old grandson named Arthur, acknowledges some side effects such as constipation and diarrhoea but believes the health benefits are worth it. “If that’s what I have to do to prolong my life and stay healthy, that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make,” Mark said.
“People say it’s not a quick fix and it’s not – I am putting in the hard work at the gym three to four times per week – but the medication controls my appetite.”
He further explained his new approach to eating: “Rather than food being my life, I now eat to live rather than live to eat.”
Mark is charting his weight loss journey on TikTok under the handle Mark on Fitness @spurry05tiktok. His account boasts 3,500 followers, and his content has gone viral, with some videos amassing up to 80,000 views.
In order to assist with his treatment expenses and potential skin removal surgery, he has initiated a GoFundMe campaign which has currently garnered £25 of his £5,000 goal. “I’d like to thank everybody who has supported me so far, it really keeps me going,” he expressed.
According to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s final draft guidance, Mounjaro will be offered to approximately a quarter of a million individuals living with obesity over the next three years. The treatment is recommended for those with a body-mass index exceeding 35 and at least one weight-related health issue.
PA contacted the NHS for a further response.