Doctor-led care for people taking weight-loss medication
Who Thrivefully is for
Doctor-led wraparound care alongside your weight-loss medication, whether your prescription is from the NHS or a private service.
If you are taking weight-loss medication, or seriously considering it, and would prefer to do so with clinical support rather than alone, this page sets out who we help most and, with equal clarity, who the service is not right for.
Who we help most
You are on a private or online prescription with no support around it
You obtained the medication from an online pharmacy or private clinic, and continuing support is limited. This service was built for that situation. You can add doctor-led care around your existing prescription, without switching or starting again.
You are clinically eligible but the NHS will not fund you yet
NICE considers these medications clinically appropriate from a BMI of 35 with a weight-related condition, but the NHS is funding the highest-need group first and rolling treatment out gradually. If you fall into that gap and are proceeding privately, we provide the wraparound care the NHS would otherwise have provided.5
You are about to start and want to begin properly
The best time to protect muscle, establish your nutrition and take a baseline is before you begin. Starting with us means you begin treatment with a plan rather than estimation. Good lifestyle measures before you start treatment can improve side effects, improve adherence and reduce the need to stop treatment.
You are already a few months in and it has been harder than expected
The side effects may be difficult, your weight loss may have plateaued, or you may be unsure whether you are losing the right kind of weight. We take a baseline wherever you are and bring structure to what follows.
You are considering stopping, or concerned about regaining weight
This is the stage at which people are most often without support. Much of the weight lost can return within a year of stopping if nothing is in place. We help you either maintain your results or come off with a structured plan.20
You have lost weight before and regained it
If you have lost weight and it returned, that is not a personal failure; it is what tends to happen without support. We build the maintenance side of your care in from the start.
You have PCOS or another metabolic condition
Dr Patel's work focuses on women's metabolic and hormonal health, including PCOS and fertility. If your weight is connected with PCOS or metabolic health, you are working with a doctor who understands the overlap.
You need to lose weight before surgery or fertility treatment
A joint replacement, another operation or fertility treatment can depend on reaching a target weight, often within a set time. Losing weight quickly raises the risk of losing muscle and not eating enough. We help you work towards that target safely, protecting your strength and nutrition so you are in the best shape for what comes next.51
You are over 65, or worried about losing strength
If you are older, live with joint pain or a long-term condition, or have had a fall, weight loss can take muscle and bone with it. We check your strength and body composition at the start and build protein and realistic strength work into your plan, so you stay steady and independent as the weight comes off.52
Who this service is not for
We provide wraparound lifestyle care, not complex medical management. This service is not the right fit if you have significant medical needs such as advanced kidney disease or frailty; are living with or recovering from an eating disorder; are pregnant, planning pregnancy imminently, or breastfeeding; or are under 18. In those circumstances you should be cared for by your GP or a specialist NHS service. If we are not right for you, we will say so when we reply to your enquiry.
What you will need
A valid prescription from your GP or a regulated pharmacy, or an active intention to start, and a willingness to engage with the lifestyle side of treatment, because that is where lasting results come from. We do not prescribe the medication. We provide the doctor-led support around it.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Sources for this page are listed on our Sources page.