FAQs

Discover the answers to our most frequently asked questions below! For weight loss medication related questions, click here.

Medical Emergencies
If you have a medical emergency or an urgent medical matter, please call 999 or NHS 111.

The Oviva Tier 3 Weight Management programme is a free programme that’s all about empowering you to take control of your health, and lose weight safely and effectively. With personalised support from our team of expert healthcare professionals, led by experienced obesity doctors coupled with our app, you will feel confident and motivated every step of the way. And since it’s completely remote, you can take part on your own schedule, with no travel or hassle! The programme is available on the NHS, meaning 100% of costs are covered.

When you join, we will assess your needs and understand your preferences to provide you with your own personalised healthcare plan that makes sense for you. Personalised nutritional advice delivered by our expert team is at the core of all of our programmes. including exercise and lifestyle support. Depending on your situation you may be able to access weight loss medications and psychological support. We will assess your needs and discuss your options with you at the start of the programme. The programme is delivered over 12-24 months depending on your treatment, and aims to help you lose weight, lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, reduce obesity-related health complications such as strokes or heart attacks, and help you make sustainable changes to your lifestyle.
Oviva is a leading provider of NHS services, combining the support of doctors, dietitians, weight management specialist nurses, health coaches and psychologists with technology to make healthcare more convenient and accessible to all. We have created expert-led, evidence-based programmes to help people living with with health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes or obesity feel healthier and happier.
As an NHS patient in England you have a legal right to choose who provides your consultant-led care. So you could have your treatment in a location near your work or a loved one, if you prefer. In the same way, you can choose Oviva to provide your remote care because we are commissioned/accredited by the NHS to provide a consultant-led tier 3 weight management service.
Complete our survey to check that you are eligible to join the programme. If you are, you will receive an email with next steps which include a letter to help when contacting your GP practice for a referral. Once your referral has been processed, you will receive information about your first appointment with our expert team to get started.
Once we receive your referral, we will send you an email with an online form asking for some more information, so we can personalise your plan to find a weight loss approach that suits you, as well as assessing the need for weight loss medication and psychological support. Once you’re enrolled, we’ll book you in for your first appointment and your journey will begin!
You don’t need to travel to a location for appointments with Oviva. The programme is entirely remote with all appointments taking place via telephone calls or through secure messaging in the Oviva app. This means you can have flexible appointments from wherever you are and at a time that suits you, even during the evenings or at weekends.
The programme is delivered over 12-24 months depending on your treatment. You will not need to repeat the programme, as we provide personalised support throughout to help you make sustainable, healthy habits. We’re committed to walking this journey with you, ensuring you maintain your weight loss and embrace a healthier future for good.
The Oviva app is designed to be easy to navigate and use. The app offers an all-in-one platform to log various aspects of your health, including food, mood, physical activity, and other health metrics like blood glucose or blood pressure all in one place. Additionally, you have the flexibility to message your coach anytime you have a question, ensuring you receive timely support and guidance whenever you need it.
Participating in the Oviva programme offers numerous health benefits. Some of these benefits can include:
- Improvements to blood glucose control
- Reduction in the risk of heart disease and stroke
- Increased energy levels
- Enhanced sleep quality
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduction in medications
The programme boosts self-esteem and confidence, while positively impacting overall mental wellbeing. Lifestyle improvements include a better quality of life, more enjoyable exercise, easier mobility, and stronger family relationships.
We can help you work towards whatever your health goal is in a manageable and sustainable way. If weight loss is your goal, we can help you to reach a healthier weight and arm you with the knowledge to keep it off in the long term.

Many people who’ve completed our programmes achieve other equally important lifestyle changes, such as reducing their medications, reducing their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, achieving remission of their Type 2 diabetes, having a better relationship with food, and feeling more confident in their ability to make healthy choices.

Participants in our medicated weight loss pathway typically experience a 13.6kg weight loss within six months. In clinical trials, individuals have achieved an average weight loss of 15%.
Oviva offers a unique experience to all those on our programme. We focus on helping people make sustainable behaviour changes to improve their health and wellbeing, rather than just focusing on calorie counting or quick fix fads. Our expert team of healthcare professionals, led by experienced obesity doctors, provide comprehensive support to help people achieve long-term health improvements. We also provide ongoing support meaning you can use the app even after the programme ends so you can continue your health journey for as long as you need.
We’re an experienced and trusted NHS provider, having helped over 200,000 people on our NHS services and 700,000 worldwide. We have many experienced healthcare professionals leading and designing our programmes, from doctors, nurses, dietitians to psychologists, we really know our stuff! We want to empower people to really take control of their health and feel like they can make changes for good over the long term. And we have the research to show we get amazing results and the people on our programmes would recommend us.
Oviva is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the adults, young people and children who use our services. All staff have a responsibility to report any identified concerns of abuse or exploitation through the appropriate route in line with the respective policies and procedures.

Oviva is dedicated to ensuring that the principles and duties of safeguarding children, young people, and adults at risk are consistently, conscientiously, and holistically applied with the wellbeing of all, at the heart of what we do.

Safeguarding means protecting a citizen’s health, wellbeing and human rights; enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It is an integral part of providing high-quality health care. Safeguarding children, young people and adults is a collective responsibility.

Those most in need of protection include:
- Children and young people
- Adults at risk, such as those receiving care in their own home, people with physical, sensory and mental impairments, and those with learning disabilities.
All staff have a responsibility to safeguard children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect at Oviva.

Read our safeguarding strategy here.

Weight loss medications FAQs

Weight loss medications are a class of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. When we eat food, our gut releases a hormone that helps the body regulate hunger and blood sugar levels. This hormone is called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1). Weight loss medications mimic the actions of the hormone GLP-1 and help your pancreas release more insulin to lower blood sugar levels, delaying emptying from the stomach making you feel full.
Just taking the medication would not be a long-term solution for your weight loss. Our programme is designed to support you in developing healthy habits and lifestyle changes that will improve your overall well-being. We would only continue to prescribe weight loss medications if you attended your appointments with our healthcare team. By working with our team, you will have access to resources, guidance, and support to help you make lasting changes that will benefit your health in the long run.
Clinical trials have shown that weight loss medications can be highly effective for promoting weight loss. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that patients treated with a once-weekly weight loss medication lost an average of 15% of their initial body weight over 68 weeks of treatment. Weight loss medications should always be used alongside lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, to achieve the best outcome.

Reference: Foschini, L., & Sundquist, K. (2022). Telehealth Delivers Similar Outcomes to In-Person Management of Hypertension: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 28(9), 596-603. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9486455/
This medication can be very effective for weight loss but like many medications, it can cause some non serious side effects. The good news is that these are often mild and temporary, especially for people who stick with treatment. Some of the most common non serious side effects you might experience are nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting, and stomach pain. You might also get headaches, feel tired, or feel dizzy. These side effects usually lessen over a few weeks as your body adjusts to the medication. Any concerns you have regarding your side effects can be discussed with your prescriber at one of your regular appointments.

While uncommon, some side effects can be more serious. These include persistent or severe stomach pain, or a strong reaction to the medication. If you experience any of these, it’s important to seek medical attention right away. You can call your doctor or, in emergencies, call 111 or head to A&E.
While long-term studies on injectable weight loss medications are ongoing, no major long-term risks have been definitively identified yet. However, it’s important to remember that these medications are relatively new. One known factor is that weight regain is a significant risk after stopping treatment, as per NICE guidelines. However, our programme aims to address this challenge by promoting long-term success. We focus on building positive lifestyle changes and patient education to help individuals maintain a healthy weight after treatment.
Complaints and Feedback
Feedback and complaints about any element of our service at Oviva can be sent via our contact form: https://oviva.com/uk/en/contact/

Partner Pharmacy

Suggestions and complaints about our dispensing or labelling should be directed to our Partner Pharmacy:
Chemist4U
34a-37 Greenhey Place
Skelmersdale
WN89SA
support@chemist-4-u.com
Superintendent Pharmacist: James O’Loan (2084549)

Unresolved pharmacy complaints can be referred to:
The General Pharmaceutical Council
1 Lambeth High Street
London SE1 7JN

Terms and Conditions

We work with the following registered pharmacy which supplies and dispatches products that you obtain via the site:
Innox Trading Limited trading as Chemist4U, incorporated and registered in England and Wales with company number 07262043 whose registered office is at 37 Greenhey Place, East Gillibrands, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 9SA (a group company of JCCO Healthcare Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with a registered company number 12750007 of same registered office address).

Innox Trading Limited is the proprietor of the pharmacy which is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council with registration number 9011784, further details of which can be found at the following url: https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/registers/pharmacy/nameortown/chemist4u (the “Pharmacy”).

The Pharmacy’s superintendent pharmacist is James Patrick O’Loan, who is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council with registration number 2084549.
Oviva employs the prescribers as Oviva UK Ltd Runway East, 20 St Thomas Street, London, SE1 9RS.

Name/Reg and Title of Oviva prescribers:
Thomas Curtis – Doctor (6149122)
Yvonne McKeown – Clinical Lead Nurse (NMC 97D1186E)
Charlotte Kay – Obesity Nurse Specialist (NMC 95I2539E)
Kerry Owen – Specialist Nurse (NMC 14B1506E)
Marie Louise Milner – Obesity Nurse Specialist (NMC 05J0459E)
Noleen Hilton – Specialist Nurse (NMC 75J1691E)

Oviva Tier 3 Weight Management is regulated by:
CQC, Parkway 3, Princess Parkway Business Centre, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M14 7LU

All doctors working in our service are GMC registered:

GMC
REGENT’S PLACE
350 EUSTON ROAD
LONDON
NW1 3JN

Their professional registration can be viewed at https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers#searchTheRegister

All of our nurse prescribers have successfully completed an NMC Independent Nurse Prescribing Course and are registered with the NMC as an Independent Prescriber:

N M C
23 PORTLAND PLACE
LONDON
W1B 1PZ

Their professional registration can be viewed at https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/search-the-register/