A number of apps trying to improve access to weight-loss drugs could be used by the NHS, according to draft health guidance.
The four applications could also supply support and advice on diet and exercise to patients seeking to lose weight, as face-to-face services cannot match demand.
Mark Chapman, the interim director of medical technology and digital evaluation at the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence, believes the apps would help more people to get the help that they need.
He told BBC News: "Waiting lists are long, some areas don't have a service and patients need a solution."
Steve Barclay, the health and social care secretary, claims that the apps and the drugs would be an essential way to tackle obesity, which is a costly problem to the NHS.
He said: "The newest obesity medicines have the potential to help patients lose significant amounts of weight and reduce related conditions, but it's vital they are used alongside diet, physical activity, and wider behavioural support to help stop people regaining weight."
NICE has estimated that roughly 48,000 people could benefit from the apps, which could save roughly 145,000 hours of doctor’s time. The scheme will be limited to those with a BMI of 35 and above.
The suggestion comes after Wegovy - a drug that reduces people’s appetite while trying to mimic the hormone Glucagon-like peptide-1 - was approved for use on the NHS in England.
The approval followed a trial that showed it could help people to lose ten percent more weight in tandem with an improved diet and exercise regime.
